Computerised Vehicle Routing and

Scheduling (CVRS) for Efficient

Logistics

Guid

e

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Foreword

Freight Best Practice is funded by the Department for

Transport and managed by Faber Maunsell Ltd to

promote operational efficiency within freight

operations in England.

Freight Best Practice offers FREE essential

information for the freight industry, covering topics

such as saving fuel, developing skills, equipment and

systems, operational efficiency and performance

management.

All FREE materials are available to download from

www.freightbestpractice.org.uk or can be ordered

through the Hotline on 0845 877 0 877.

The aim of this guide is to:

Help more organisations gain an understanding

of, and move towards the use of, computerised

vehicle routing and scheduling (CVRS)

Provide an overview of CVRS systems, covering

their uses, likely benefits, negative aspects and

associated costs

Provide readers with sufficient information to be

able to identify, purchase and implement the best

solution for their organisation

The guide includes a checklist of questions you need to

ask when considering CVRS as an option for your

business and details of organisations that can provide

you with further information.

While the Department for Transport (DfT) has made every effort to

ensure the information in this document is accurate, DfT does not

guarantee the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of that

information; and it cannot accept liability for any loss or damages of

any kind resulting from reliance on the information or guidance this

document contains.

This publication has been reproduced by Freight Best Practice and

the information contained within was accurate at the date of initial

publication (2005).

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Contents

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Who Should Use this Guide? 1

1.2 About this Guide 1

1.3 Other Sources of Information 1

1.4 The Structure of the Guide 2

2 Computerised Routing for Transport Operations 2

2.1 Computerised Vehicle Routing and Scheduling Systems 2

2.2 Journey Planners 3

3 Why Use CVRS? 5

3.1 Why Change to CVRS? 5

3.2 What Information is Processed by a CVRS System? 5

3.3 Applications for CVRS Systems 5

3.4 Data Output and Reports 6

3.5 The Benefits of CVRS 6

3.6 Maximising the Benefits of CVRS 8

3.7 The Drawbacks of CVRS 9

3.8 Survey of Current CVRS Users 9

3.9 The Role of Vehicle Telematics 11

4 Is it Worth Introducing CVRS? 11

4.1 Is CVRS a Practical Option? 11

4.2 How Much Will a System Cost? 12

4.3 What Other Costs are Involved? 12

4.4 Example Project Costs and Savings 12

5 Implementing CVRS 13

5.1 First phase: Preparing a Project Plan 13

5.2 Second Phase: Defining Requirements and Deciding to Proceed 14

5.3 Third Phase: Obtain and Set Up System 15

5.4 Fourth Phase: Go Live 17

6 Product and Supplier Selection 18

6.1 Finding the Right Supplier 18

6.2 Listing of Key Suppliers 19

6.3 System Summary Based on Suppliers’ Questionnaire Responses 19

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7 Case Studies 25

7.1 Menzies Distribution Achieves Better Speed and Accuracy in Planning 25

7.2 West Country Fine Foods Improves Periodic Transport Planning 26

7.3 Alstons Cabinets EnhancesTransport Efficiency and Supply Chain Systems Integration 26

7.4 DW Weaver Achieves Better Speed and Accuracy in Operational and Strategic Planning 27

7.5 Silentnight Beds Makes More Efficient Use of Rigid Vehicles and Trailers 27

7.6 G & P Batteries Improves Transport Efficiency and Increases Capacity 28

Appendix 1 - CVRS in Detail 30

A1.1 Data Assembly 30

A1.2 Mapping 32

A1.3 Optimising the Use of Resources with a Vehicle Scheduling System 33

A1.4 Specialised Scheduling Applications 33

Appendix 2 - Journey Planners 34

A2.1 Applications 34

A2.2 Operation 34

A2.3 Data Input 34

A2.4 Parameter Settings 35

A2.5 Screen Mapping Features 35

A2.6 Other Features 35

A2.7 Outputs 35

Appendix 3 - Vehicle Telematics 36

A3.1 Introduction 36

A3.2 Telematics in Use 36

Appendix 4 - Supplier Questionnaire 38

1 Introduction

Computerised vehicle routing and scheduling (CVRS)

systems are very sophisticated software packages that

are used to generate and optimise routes and schedules

for transport operations. In addition to holding a digital

map of the road network, these systems also hold

information concerning customer locations and delivery

and collection windows, quantities and types of goods to

be delivered or collected, vehicle availability and

capacities and driver shift patterns. Customer orders are

input into the system, which then generates the optimum

set of routes that meets the delivery need.

1.1 Who Should Use this Guide?

The guide will be of benefit to anyone who is involved in a

project to assess, select and implement CVRS, such as:

Transport managers

Logistics professionals

Distribution planners

Consultants

IT department staff who want to better understand

the use of such systems

1.2 About this Guide

This guide is aimed at transport operators looking to

optimise vehicle operations. Many operators of larger

fleets are already benefiting from using CVRS systems to

process the large amounts of information involved in

planning vehicle operations. However, many other fleet

operators still rely on largely manual processes to plan the

work of their vehicles, and perhaps, have neither the

knowledge of the capability of modern CVRS systems, nor

the time and resources available to investigate them.

The guide is intended to help more organisations gain an

understanding of, and move towards the use of, CVRS. It

provides an overview of CVRS systems, covering their

uses, likely benefits, negative aspects and associated

costs, with the intention of providing readers with sufficient

information to be able to identify, purchase and implement

the best solution for their organisation.

The guide also briefly covers the related topics of journey

planners and vehicle telematics.

1.3 Other Sources of Information

The Freight Best Practice programme, funded by the

Department for Transport, offers authoritative, independent

and practical information and advice to help UK

companies improve the cost-effectiveness of their

transport operations. This information is disseminated

through publications, DVDs and software, together with

seminars, workshops and other events. A full list and

description of available resources is available on the

Freight Best Practice programme website at

www.freightbestpractice.org.uk, or through the Hotline

on 0845 877 0 877.

For those looking for specific CVRS advice and

information, each of the suppliers listed in Section 6 of this

guide has a website which contains a great deal of

relevant information, including case studies of companies

which have successfully implemented CVRS. A shorter

introduction to CVRS, ‘Concise Guide to Computerised

Vehicle Routing and Scheduling (CVRS)’, is also available

from the programme, via the website or Hotline.

Vehicle telematics is not an integral part of CVRS, but is

linked, and its use will become more widespread in the

next few years. Appendix 3 offers an introduction to the

topic, while detailed information on this technology is

contained in the Freight Best Practice ‘Telematics Guide’.

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1.4 The Structure of the Guide

The guide contains the following sections:

Section 2 provides a general introduction to

CVRS systems and journey planners

Section 3 outlines the advantages of CVRS and

describes in more detail the way a system works

and the outputs it produces. It also looks at the

drawbacks that need to be overcome before a

CVRS system can successfully be implemented,

and details the results of a survey of CVRS users

Section 4 helps you to assess the feasibility of

introducing CVRS in your organisation

Section 5 looks at the various stages involved in

implementing a system

Section 6 discusses how to choose the right

system supplier, and contains a list of some of

the key suppliers as well as a summary of system

capabilities created from suppliers’ replies to a

questionnaire

Section 7 contains case studies highlighting the

experiences of organisations that have chosen to

implement CVRS systems

Appendix A gives more of the detail about CVRS

systems and their features

Appendix B looks at journey planners and the way

they work

Appendix C gives an overview of vehicle

telematics

Appendix D reproduces the supplier

questionnaire that was used to obtain the

summary of system capabilities in Section 6, and

which you can also use to gain information about

systems under consideration

2 Computerised Routingfor Transport Operations

Two types of computerised system can help

organisations to plan their routes: computerised vehicle

routing and scheduling systems, and the less

sophisticated journey planners. The main part of this

guide is primarily concerned with the former type of

system, which can provide benefits in many areas in

addition to rapid planning of routes. Journey planners

are covered in more detail in Appendix 2 of this guide.

2.1 Computerised Vehicle Routingand Scheduling Systems

What Do They Do?

CVRS systems can take large numbers of customer

orders and calculate the most effective way of meeting

them. They calculate the time and resources required to

complete the work, using collection and delivery

information and observing the pre-determined parameter

settings that control the way in which the transport

operation is run. Parameters can include road speeds,

load size, customer opening times and driver hours.

The CVRS process is shown in Figure 1 on the

following page.

Systems can be used for dynamic daily or weekly

planning, as well as for strategic analysis. On a daily

basis, they quickly produce routes which meet the laid

down parameters. Transport planners can then further

optimise the routes and schedules using their expertise,

local knowledge, relationship with customers and so on.

For instance, planners may know that a certain

customer will accept a later or earlier delivery if they are

telephoned first. They can then override that customer’s

delivery rules and let the CVRS system re-plan routes,

often with even better results. When the user decides

that the solution is as good as it can be, it can be used

to generate outputs, for example, a printed map, a

report or a delivery schedule.

The powerful capabilities of the software include the

ability to:

Reduce operational costs by minimising resource

requirements i.e. the number of vehicles and

drivers for a given workload

Determine the most appropriate depot from which

to schedule specific calls

Observe all customer access constraints e.g.

closed days, vehicle size and type restrictions,

delivery time windows and pre-booked times

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Reduce loaded and empty mileage

Accommodate collections and deliveries en route

without exceeding payload tonnes, available load

space or drivers’ hours limits

Who Should Use Them?

Vehicle routing and scheduling systems are generally

used by organisations operating fleets of ten or more

vehicles, particularly for multi-drop work, where the

scheduling task is complex. Systems will also bring real

benefits where only limited time is available for planning.

Menzies Distribution delivers over 7 million

newspapers and magazines every day against a very

tight turnaround time. Products are cross-docked,

picked and packed, then consolidated for delivery to

the retailer. High speed, efficient distribution is

paramount as the product has a short shelf-life. The

company has introduced CVRS to assist manual

schedulers in the redesign of delivery sequences on

a depot-by-depot basis. Menzies also uses CVRS to

test the effects of alternative scenarios, a move that

has enabled the company to venture into new

markets, confident that it knows what to expect.

2.2 Journey Planners

What Are They?

A journey planner is a piece of software containing a

digital road network, with roads defined by a range of

categories and speeds, and with the ability to calculate

the best route between any two given locations. It can

also devise a route that includes any number of call

points.

What Do They Do?

Journey planners are generally used for manual

planning of single journeys, where the user decides the

calls to be made on each journey and uses the journey

planner to determine the best route (shortest, fastest or

avoiding certain roads) and the best call sequence.

Road speeds can be set by the user for each road

category, to replicate the average speeds which vehicles

are expected to achieve.

The journey planner will produce route plans, either in

map form or as a series of directions, which can be

issued to drivers as necessary. The process involved is

shown in Figure 2 overleaf.

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Figure 1 Computerised vehicle routing and scheduling

What is the Difference Between a Journey

Planner and a Vehicle Routing and

Scheduling System?

The essential difference is that a journey planner makes

fewer decisions. The user reviews the orders to be

fulfilled and assembles them into provisional routes with

identified call points. These routes are then entered into

the journey planner, which uses in-built roadmaps and

associated parameters to identify the optimum delivery

or collection sequence, and calculate the time and

distance for the whole journey.

The user reviews the routes, adding or removing call

points or changing the call sequence, perhaps to meet a

particular customer’s delivery time requirement. Routes

can then be re-submitted to the journey planner until the

optimum solution is found.

Who Should Use Them?

Owing to their relatively limited functionality, journey

planners cost considerably less than vehicle scheduling

systems, making them affordable to smaller

organisations. They can be very effective for

organisations operating a small fleet, perhaps five or six

vehicles, where the number of routes to be planned or

the number of calls to be routed is small. They can also

be used for a range of monitoring purposes, including

checking distances on tachograph records and haulier

invoices, identifying the number of customers within a

given distance of a depot and so on.

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Figure 2 Computerised journey planning

3 Why Use CVRS?

3.1 Why Change to CVRS?

CVRS systems rapidly process information concerning

customer locations and requirements, types and

quantities of goods to be delivered and/or collected, and

match these to available vehicle capacity to produce the

most economical routes and achievable schedules.

By so doing, CVRS systems can help you to:

Improve the utilisation of your transport resources

Reduce journey times

Minimise vehicle mileage

Reduce operating costs

Improve the reliability of delivery schedules

Since introducing CVRS, West Country Foods has

been able to balance its deliveries much more evenly

among vehicles and plan routes that are far more

efficient. The company has saved thousands of

pounds a month in fuel, wear and tear and

depreciation, and has also reduced the number of

vehicles required. The simultaneous improvement in

customer service has also been significant.

Systems can also be used to ‘model’ possible changes

to a transport operation, for example, a different vehicle

size could be entered to see what effect this would have

on the number of vehicles needed to meet current

requirements. In addition, strategic reviews can be

carried out, and the impact on operations of more

immediate changes, such as the addition of a major new

customer, can be quantified.

3.2 What Information is Processedby a CVRS System?

A CVRS system holds a range of data covering the road

network (including digital maps and road speeds), details

of vehicles’ availability and capacity, driver shift patterns

and customer information (including locations and

delivery and collection windows). A system will also hold

a range of parameters that define the way in which

deliveries and collections, or ‘calls’, must be made, such

as:

The maximum number of overnight stops

Whether the vehicle is to deliver on the way out,

or go to the furthest point loaded and deliver on

the return leg

The ability of vehicles to make more than one

journey in the same shift

Any need to have space left on the vehicle for

collections

On multi-day routes, information on which loads

need to be delivered on which days

CVRS systems are usually operated by transport

planners or schedulers who assess the routes and use

their expertise to refine them as necessary before

passing them to other personnel for order picking and

loading.

3.3 Applications for CVRS Systems

Most businesses use a CVRS system in a number of

ways. Tasks tend to fall into three main areas:

operational, strategic and commercial.

Operational

A CVRS system can have a direct and positive impact

on the active operation of a business, determining

delivery and collection sequences and vehicle routes.

Key operational tasks include:

Dynamic daily scheduling

Weekly scheduling

Validation and/or optimisation of existing manually

planned routes

Scheduling from multiple depots

Dynamic daily scheduling can achieve major cost

benefits, particularly for operations where there is no

regular daily delivery pattern (e.g. home deliveries).

Weekly scheduling is more appropriate for supply

chains, where the transport planner is aware of the

projected delivery requirements for at least one week

ahead. For multi-depot organisations, depots may be

manually assigned to customers or the CVRS system

can assign them based on cost-effectiveness.

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The introduction of CVRS has enabled DW Weaver to

generate monthly route reviews which take account of

on-going changes in its milk collection and delivery

business. Route plans are now produced much more

quickly and accuracy is greatly improved, with

allowances made for road speeds and loading and

offloading times. The company has a better idea of

mileage run, driver workload and vehicle arrival times

at both collection and delivery points. Overall vehicle

mileage, and hence costs incurred, have also been

reduced.

Strategic

Strategic applications are concerned with planning for

possible future developments. CVRS systems can

provide organisations with a greater understanding of

the resources they would need and the likely costs

associated with different set-ups. Key strategic tasks

include:

Planning resource requirements and budgeting for

forecast business, seasonal variations in demand

or new or revised regional depot structures

Evaluation of alternative options (e.g. comparing

the cost-effectiveness of in-house and third party

distribution strategies)

Testing the effect on resources and costs of

various parameters and assumptions (i.e.

providing answers to the ‘What if....?’ questions)

Testing the effect of service level changes for all

customers, or groups of customers

Commercial

Commercial applications are those designed to produce

resource and cost figures for a particular set of existing

or planned operating parameters. They can have an

impact on active operations. Key commercial tasks

include:

Assisting with the preparation of tender

submissions and calculating vehicle and

man-hour requirements to meet third party

contracts

Modelling changes to the business or determining

the most cost-effective method of providing the

desired level of customer service

3.4 Data Output and Reports

Modern CVRS systems have comprehensive reporting

capabilities, with data outputs including:

Route reports (screen and print)

Resource utilisation and cost reports (screen,

print and file)

Load manifests or daily traffic sheets showing the

allocation of drivers and vehicles to routes

Performance monitoring reports (comparing actual

results with planned)

Route summaries showing distance, time, calls,

quantity and cost

Dispatch reports showing run dispatch and return

date or time

Resource utilisation bar charts showing the time

spent on driving, other duties and break and rest

periods

A range of cost reports

In addition to creating customised reports directly from

the system, users can export data to spreadsheet or

database applications (e.g. Excel®, Lotus 123®, Access®

or Lotus Approach®), or to other proprietary data

handling and report writing packages for further

manipulation. Exported data can also be merged with

other related management information.

3.5 The Benefits of CVRS

Most companies introduce CVRS to help them to use

their transport resources more efficiently. Through CVRS

you can achieve a better vehicle fill, make better use of

available time and run fewer miles for the same

workload, all helping to reduce transport costs and

contributing to the profitability and/or competitiveness of

your business.

Broadly speaking, benefits can be split down into two

categories: operational efficiency, and management and

service enhancement, as shown in Figure 3 opposite.

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Operational Efficiency

Improvements to operational efficiency result in doing the

same work with fewer resources or doing more with the

same resources. The key elements are faster planning

and better routes. Faster planning generally enables

companies to accept orders later, while still allowing them

to refine and optimise the routes to be used. In addition,

CVRS invariably produces better routes, necessitating

fewer vehicles and drivers, or enabling more product to be

delivered on the same fleet. Either way, the result is lower

cost per delivery, or unit delivered.

In summary:

Regularly putting more goods on vehicles

requires fewer vehicles and drivers

Improved allocation and scheduling can result in a

tighter fleet profile

More efficient routes with improved call density

will reduce vehicle mileages

Delivery plans can be readily reviewed, perhaps

when late orders are received, and routes then

quickly revised while maintaining efficient use of

transport resources

For multi-depot operations, the planning

process can be centralised, perhaps with

detailed route optimisation carried out locally,

which may enable depots to support each other

rather than having to bring in additional vehicles

It may be possible to reduce the number of staff

involved with the planning process or make

more efficient use of planners’ time through

reduced administration effort, paperwork and

planning processes

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Figure 3 The many benefits of CVRS

Management and Service

Management and service enhancement is less easy to

quantify, but still important. Many benefits enhance the

operation and generally contribute to improvements in

the overall service level, although they may not directly

improve the operational efficiency of the transport fleet.

However, CVRS can help to build a structure which is

efficient and can accommodate growth without undue

deterioration in service level.

With better planning, routes and timeframes will be more

achievable, resulting in fewer missed calls and hence,

fewer re-deliveries, reducing the strain on resources.

Better communication between people and between

systems results in more reliable order fulfilment,

increasing customer satisfaction. Companies can also

benefit from being able to forecast the effects of change,

such as changes to the number of customers or overall

levels of business, and therefore being able to plan

more accurately for change.

In summary:

More realistic schedules reduce the demands on

drivers

Good schedules are more likely to be achieved,

reducing the number of late deliveries and hence

customer complaints and the need for

re-deliveries

Electronic storage of accurate customer

information makes the business less dependent

on the skills and knowledge of an individual

scheduler

Different elements of the distribution operation

can be integrated, such as functional (e.g.

multiple drops, full load activity) or geographic

(e.g. multiple depot operations)

Production planning and order processing can be

integrated, leading to efficiency improvements

The elimination of manual data entry and the

automatic production of delivery documentation

reduce the risk of error

With faster routing and scheduling customer order

cut-off time can often be later

More flexible and comprehensive transport

management reporting is possible, covering drop

density, volume delivered, distance run and hours

used

Changes within the business, such as more

frequent deliveries, am and pm commitments,

night deliveries and shorter lead times can be

modelled quickly and accurately

For G & P Batteries (see case study in Section 7 page

28), CVRS plays a key role in achieving a critical 90%

vehicle fill and has reduced daily planning time by

around five hours a day. CVRS has also realised

improvements in transport management and

administration, and management is confident that the

current planning staff will be able to handle an expected

doubling of throughput. CVRS is also providing good

management information on current achievements, as

well as forecasts of costs for anticipated future routes.

3.6 Maximising the Benefits of CVRS

The benefits of CVRS systems are maximised when the

software is integrated with other supply chain

management software. For example, CVRS inputs, such

as orders, can be downloaded from a sales order

processing system and CVRS outputs can directly

generate picking lists or load assembly information and

specific management information.

Almost three quarters of the items dispatched by

Alstons Cabinets are made to order, with scheduled

orders forming the basis of manufacturing planning.

Until recently the whole process was carried out

manually, by sorting hard copies of customer orders

and passing the information on to other parts of the

business.

The simultaneous introduction of Material Requirement

Planning (MRP) software and CVRS has radically

improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the

company’s planning. Orders routed by CVRS are

automatically uploaded into the MRP system for

production planning. Errors have been reduced

significantly, orders are no longer ‘forgotten’, and

response to customer queries is much faster and more

accurate. In addition, better routes and more effective

use of vehicles have enabled Alstons to reduce its

fleet size without any deterioration in customer service.

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In addition, implementing CVRS will realise most

benefits in organisations where the planning task is

more complex, and more information needs to be

considered when generating routes. Manual scheduling

is at its most vulnerable where the task is complicated,

but the time available for planning is limited. Under

extreme pressure schedulers may forget things or make

mistakes. Although a CVRS system rarely generates

perfect routes first time, it will not overlook anything and,

with input from the scheduler, the optimum solution will

quickly be generated.

How Complex is the Planning Task?

A number of factors may influence the complexity of the

transport operation, all of which need to be taken into

account. The following list includes many of the more

common ones, but individual organisations may well

have specific factors.

Vehicle resources - take into account:

• The number of vehicles to be scheduled

• The range of types and capacities of vehicles

which must be used

Driver resources - take into account:

• The number of driver shifts

• Limitations on the hours that drivers are able to

work and drive

Customer requirements - take into account:

• The number of deliveries and collections

• Customer time windows (i.e. narrow or wide)

• The range of loading or unloading rates

• The number and spread of booked times (e.g.

the number of 8 am bookings will dictate the

minimum number of vehicles required)

• In a weekly plan, the collection or delivery day

required

• Constraints on the vehicle types that can be

handled at individual call points

• The existence of bulk consignments (i.e. single

orders for one customer exceeding the capacity

of the largest vehicle)

Operational factors - take into account:

• The range of products with varying weights,

cubic capacities and characteristics

• The need for goods to be carried in vehicles

with multiple compartments (e.g. tankers,

ambient, chilled or frozen)

• Restrictions on product compatibility, prohibiting

different products being carried in the same

vehicle

• The number of trips required per shift

• In multiple depot operations, constraints on

which customers can be served from which

depots

• The need to schedule night trunking work and

depot delivery work

3.7 The Drawbacks of CVRS

As with most significant changes to working practices,

there may be some initial drawbacks with CVRS,

although these tend to be overcome fairly quickly, with a

high level of satisfaction reported amongst users.

Indeed, most users would regard a move back to

manual routing and scheduling as unthinkable.

The main drawbacks are seen as:

Complicated implementation - implementing a

CVRS system is not simple, and will need the

investment of both time and money to ensure

success. However, CVRS generally provides a

rapid return on investment

Complexity of operation - CVRS brings a new

level of complexity and sophistication to transport

planning, which needs to be handled carefully.

Planning staff generally develop into their revised

roles, but will need training, support and

encouragement. Care will be needed to ensure

the availability of back-up staff with the necessary

skills to cover for unplanned absences

Lack of flexibility - CVRS imposes some rigidity

in the way that things are done, making short cuts

more difficult as they could introduce errors.

However, modern CVRS systems can be tailored

to individual requirements. If user needs are well

defined and made clear to system suppliers, and

adequate preparation is made before

implementation, any lack of flexibility should not

cause a major problem

3.8 Survey of Current CVRS Users

An e-mail survey of some 700 members of the Freight

Transport Association (FTA) was conducted during

August and September 2004. The survey was intended

to determine the extent to which CVRS has penetrated

the industry and to gain a better understanding of the

ways in which any systems are used. The survey was

confined to companies operating ten or more vehicles.

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Of those companies that responded, 22% were using

some form of CVRS, with a further 7% actively

considering the use of such a system. A similar survey

conducted some four years ago indicated that 23% of

companies were using CVRS, suggesting that the

market penetration of such systems has not changed

significantly. This relatively low figure is perhaps

surprising, since over 90% of CVRS users in the current

survey indicated that they were either ‘satisfied’ or ‘very

satisfied’ with their choice of system and supplier.

The breakdown of CVRS users by sector is shown in

Figure 4, and shows that the majority of current users

are distributors and wholesalers. Within each sector,

users of CVRS encompassed a diverse range of

businesses, with those identified through the survey

including a bed manufacturer, a fuel oil distributor, a

third-party distributor, a plastic pipe manufacturer and a

battery recycling operator.

In response to the survey, over 50% of companies not

using CVRS stated that the systems simply did not suit

their operations, and they were therefore staying with

manual processes. However, when the survey results

were used to compare companies that have chosen to

use CVRS with those that have not, remarkably little

difference was discovered. The fleet size profile of the

two groups was virtually identical and a very similar

spread across sectors was found, as shown in Figure 5.

As the majority of users were satisfied with their systems

and reaping benefits, this finding indicates that many

more companies could be benefiting from CVRS.

Modern CVRS systems can readily be customised to

suit a particular operation, and suppliers are increasingly

seeing their role as ‘configure and implement’, rather

than as simply selling a software package.

While those companies surveyed tended to use CVRS

systems for a variety of reasons, the majority used

CVRS for regular operational planning for vehicles on

either a daily or a weekly basis. A significant number

were also using their systems for strategic reviews and

business development purposes. The survey findings

are shown in Figure 6.

Agriculture6%

Construction6%

Other13%

Local authorityor public service3%

Manufacturing19%

Distributor orwholesaler40%

Logistics13%

Agriculture

Construction

Distribution orwholesale

Energy orwater supply

Engineering

Materials

Manufacturing

Logistics

Other

Local authority orpublic service

6%

10%

26%

1%

2%

3%

6%

13%

13%

20%

6%

6%

40%

0%

0%

0%

3%

19%

13%

13%

Non-users Users

Figure 5 Comparison of CVRS users and non-users by

sector

Figure 4 Breakdown of current CVRS users by sector

Improved efficiency

Reduced operating costs

Improved managementreports

Improved customerservice

Reduced fuel costs

Matching demand andresource

Strategic reviews

Reduced fleet size

Reduced mileage

Enhanced businessdevelopment

Other

75%

58%

58%

54%

38%

38%

33%

29%

29%

17%

17%

Figure 7 CVRS benefits

Daily vehicle routing

Weekly vehicle routing

Periodic routing reviews

Major strategic reviews

Business development

Other

67%

17%

33%

25%

13%

8%

Figure 6 Uses for CVRS systems

10

A wide range of benefits were identified during the

survey, as shown in Figure 7, on page 10. The results

support the view that most companies use CVRS

systems principally to improve their operational

efficiency, with more than half of users realising reduced

operating costs and around 30% realising reduced fleet

size and fuel costs. Better management reports and

improvements to customer service were also widely

reported.

In summary, relatively few companies currently use

CVRS systems, but those companies that do are

satisfied with the results and would not return to manual

routing and scheduling. Most CVRS users were looking

to make efficiency gains - more output for the same

resource or the same output for less resource - but have

also realised other service-related or strategic analysis

benefits. Improvements in service, control and

communications are also common.

3.9 The Role of Vehicle Telematics

Telematics is defined as the use of computers to control

and monitor remote devices or systems. By far the

largest market for telematics to date is the transport

market, where data gathering and transmission is

becoming increasingly widespread and important.

Applications include the monitoring of vehicle

performance, vehicle position tracking and real-time

gathering of proof of delivery or collection, through

hand-held data terminals carried by drivers.

Both telematics and CVRS can be successfully used

independently. For instance, telematics can be used to

provide vehicle performance or location information

without the use of CVRS. Similarly, a CVRS system can

successfully generate vehicle routes and schedules

without the use of any form of telematics. However, an

increasing number of businesses are recognising that

using both systems together can offer a significant step

forward in vehicle and customer service management

and control. The prospect has also been made more

attractive in recent years, as not only has the cost of

such systems fallen, but also their functionality and

reliability have improved.

By using CVRS and telematics together, a transport

management team can develop a vehicle plan and

know, often in very great detail and in real-time, the

extent to which the plan is being followed. This

knowledge enables quicker reaction to changes and

offers the ability to be able to divert or redirect vehicles

for additional work, warn customers of a late delivery or

collection before they are even aware that anything has

started to go wrong.

Further information on telematics can be found in

Appendix 3 of this guide. More detailed information on

basic technology, descriptions of telematics in use, case

studies and details of products and suppliers can be

found in Freight Best Practice programme ‘Telematics

Guide’. A copy of the guide can be ordered via the

Freight Best Practice programme website at

www.freightbestpractice.org.uk or by calling the

Hotline on 0845 877 0 877.

4 Is it Worth IntroducingCVRS?

The decision to introduce CVRS cannot be taken lightly.

With proper management, CVRS can be successfully

introduced and is likely to provide a rapid return on

investment, improvements in efficiency and customer

service, and many other benefits for years to come.

However, it will entail a significant project that will have

an impact on staff and, if it is not managed properly, may

lead to a temporary deterioration in customer service.

This section looks at various factors that will help

organisations to decide if CVRS is right for them.

4.1 Is CVRS a Practical Option?

CVRS systems are currently helping a wide range of

organisations to make the most of their transport

resources. Answering the following questions will provide

a useful starting point for organisations trying to decide if

CVRS is a practical option for them.

Is a large fleet (e.g. more than twenty five 3.5

tonne vehicles) operated?

Is a multi-drop delivery service provided?

Is there a substantial number of customers?

Is there a wide range of order sizes and product

types and sizes?

Do customers have a range of individual

requirements, for example, set delivery windows,

short lead times, specific vehicle types, etc?

Does delivery requirement change from day to

day or from week to week?

Is a limited amount of time available for load

planning?

Are delivery options, service levels, vehicle types

or depot locations likely to change?

Are transport resources underused or

overstretched?

If the answer to any or all of these questions is ‘Yes’,

CVRS is likely to bring benefits.

11

4.2 How Much will a System Cost?

It is difficult to make a general statement about the costs

associated with purchasing, installing and running a

CVRS system. Today’s systems are generally tailored to

meet the specific needs of an organisation, with costs

dependent on many factors, including:

Functions required

Number of system users

Size of vehicle fleet to be routed and scheduled

Number of depots within the organisation

Number of customers

Number of calls to be routed

The only way to get an accurate idea of costs is to

contact a supplier and discuss system requirements.

Details of several suppliers can be found in Section 6 of

this guide. As an indication of the possible costs involved

however, a single user system to plan the work for a

fleet of 20 - 25 vehicles typically costs in the region of

£25,000 - £30,000, with on-going licences and support

likely to cost around £3,000 per year.

While system costs are not insignificant, most systems

realise a wide range of benefits and generally prove a

very worthwhile investment, with relatively short payback

periods quite common. It is worth remembering that:

Cost savings for established operations are

typically of the order of 10-20% of transport costs

CVRS can enable businesses experiencing rapid

growth to meet increasing demand without having

to increase staffing levels, whereas several

additional staff may be required with manual

vehicle routing

Improved communications between systems and

departments tend to yield efficiency improvements

and better levels of customer service: although

difficult to quantify, these benefits may offer

companies the edge over their competitors

Where system costs are of particular concern, it may be

worth considering a lower cost, budget system where

functionality is reduced. Another alternative is to use a

service provider, where orders are uploaded to the

Internet and planned routes returned. This latter option

is slower, but can still result in benefits.

4.3 What Other Costs are Involved?

CVRS project costs go beyond the price of the software

alone. Other areas of expenditure may include:

Creating interfaces with existing systems

Customising the CVRS system

Gathering and validating customer data

Calibrating the system to use existing fleet road

speeds and loading and unloading times

Briefing drivers, planners and schedulers, and

sales and customer service staff

Staff training

Taking all costs into account from the start will ensure

that return on investment can be accurately gauged, and

should also avoid overspending later in the project.

4.4 Example Project Costs andSavings

Table 1, shows some typical costs for a single-site

CVRS project implemented to reduce transport costs by

improving efficiency, and highlights the resulting savings.

Clearly, as each project is different, the costs and

savings shown can only be indicative, although they are

representative of those experienced in practice.

Table 1 Example CVRS project costs and savings

Organisation details

Current annual transport spend £1,500,000

Fleet size 25 vehicles

Depreciation period for CVRS project 3 years

Project costs

Set-up

Hardware (PCs, printers, interface) £3,000

Software £30,000

Implementation

Training £2,000

Data verification and cleansing £4,500

(3 man weeks @ £1,500)

Project management (10 days @ £500) £5,000

Total project costs £44,500 (A)

Annual costs

Depreciation (1st, 2nd and 3rd years) £11,000 (B)

System updates and maintenance £3,000 (C)

(2nd and 3rd years)

Retraining (2nd and 3rd years) £2,000 (D)

Total year 1 costs (implementation plus £55,500 (A+B)= G

depreciation)

Total year 2 and 3 costs (recurring costs only) £16,000 (B+C+D)= H

Cost saving year 1 (8% of transport spend, £60,000 (E)

equivalent to two vehicles) @ 50% (assuming

six months to implement project, followed by

six months in operation)

Annual cost savings year 2 onwards (8% of £120,000 (F)

transport spend, equivalent to two vehicles)

Net financial benefit in year 1* £4,500 (E–G)

Net financial benefit in year 2 £104,000 (F–H)

Net financial benefit in year 3 £104,000 (F–H)

Note: This example assumes a relatively modest cost saving of 8% (10 -12% savings are common) and ignores the effect of increasing transport unitcosts, such as the cost of fuel.

12

When trying to decide on the feasibility of implementing

CVRS, it is worth completing a table similar to that

shown in Table 1, taking into account project-specific

details. For example, many organisations will use

different accounting practices for depreciation and

project management and data cleansing costs may be

lower where in-house capabilities exist.

5 Implementing CVRS

Implementation of CVRS is very company-specific,

depending on many factors such as the size of the

operation and what is expected from the system.

However, most projects involve four distinct phases:

The first phase - when a project plan is drawn up

The second phase - when system requirements

are defined, suppliers consulted and the decision

to proceed is taken

The third phase - when the system is installed,

training carried out and CVRS put into use

The fourth phase - when fine tuning takes place

and the system is optimised

This section provides guidance on key implementation

issues in each of these phases.

5.1 First Phase: Preparing a ProjectPlan

The decision to adopt CVRS, together with the selection

of a supplier and the implementation of a system, is a

significant project in any organisation, and a carefully

constructed plan is essential. Figure 8 shows a possible

project plan, highlighting the tasks that may be involved.

The tasks may well vary from company to company, but

typically a number of the tasks will be interdependent,

and overall project length may be fairly long (20 weeks

in this example). In addition, a communications

programme should be worked out at this stage to ensure

that staff are briefed through the whole project.

Task nameCreate project planBrief staffDefine system requirementsSystem selection Evaluate systems Shortlist systems Take up referencesDecision to proceed Revise project planObtain system Final system selection System deliveredSystem interfaces Define requirements Create interfaces Test Plan training Purchase hardwareData assembly Verification Cleansing Testing Staff training Calibrate road speedsSystem set-upSystem testingGO LIVEPost-implementation reviewSystem fine tuningOn-going system optimisation

ID123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930

Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 W11 W12 W13 W14 W15 W16 W17 W18 W19 W20 W21 W22

Key: Key tasks made up of one or more sub-tasks Individual tasks or sub-tasks

13

Figure 8 Example Project Plan

5.2 Second Phase: DefiningRequirements and Deciding to Proceed

Brief Staff

Implementing CVRS is much like any other major

project, and keeping people informed at every stage of

the process is vital.

It is particularly important to keep load or transport

schedulers and planners well informed. They may feel

threatened by the move and might think they are being

replaced. However, emphasise that knowledgeable user

input is essential to implement, customise and operate

the system, and maximise the benefits.

Planning and scheduling staff tend to carry a lot of

information in their head, such as customer delivery

windows and vehicle access restrictions, which will need

to be put into the system. Where these staff are not

computer literate, remember to make allowances for

individual training needs within the project plan.

Encouragement is vital. Visits to sites already using

CVRS may prove invaluable, enabling staff to see real

systems in action.

Drivers may also feel threatened. Talk of making more

efficient use of resources may imply that they will have

to work even harder, and there may be resistance to

following schedules derived by computers that obviously

can have no experience of life on the road. Emphasise

the importance of driver input. Drivers keep a lot of

information in their head which will prove vital to the

success of computerised routing and scheduling.

Staff briefing and communication needs to encompass

those outside transport. For example, sales and

customer service teams will have additional information

on customers. It is also important that sales teams have

a realistic view of the improvements that CVRS will

bring, for example, in terms of lead times and

improvements to customer service levels.

Define System Requirements

System requirements must be carefully defined at an

early stage in the project so that the search for a

suitable system can get off to an organised and

structured start. Do not assume that the system must

mimic the current logistics operation; this may not

necessarily be the best option. Talk to transport planners

and schedulers to find out what is ideally required.

When looking to define requirements, consider:

How many vehicles will be operated?

What types of vehicle will be operated?

How many customers and call points are there?

How many calls are expected in a peak day or

average week?

Must set vehicles be operated on the same set

routes?

Do vehicles stay out overnight?

Do vehicles return to depot, reload and go out

again during a working day?

Are routes variable or are they fixed?

Do vehicles collect goods, from either customers

or another depot?

Is there a fixed cut-off time for order acceptance?

Do any single orders exceed the capacity of the

largest vehicle?

Are high street or door-to-door deliveries made?

How does the system need to interact with

existing IT systems?

Appendix 4 contains a more comprehensive list of

questions which may be used to evaluate potential

CVRS systems. The list may also prove useful when

deciding how best to run an operation and when

selecting system functions.

System Selection

Having identified the need for CVRS and the level of

interaction with other IT systems, further evaluation of

the options can begin. Three steps are generally

involved:

Evaluate systems:

Keep requirements clearly in mind

Compare inherent system capability with

defined requirements

Consider the potential to customise systems to

meet requirements

Arrange demonstrations (using actual data

where possible)

Compare prices (purchase and maintenance),

and look at possible leasing arrangements, if

required

14

Short-list systems: - Visit reference sites to see

systems in operation

Take up references

Decision to Proceed

At this stage in the project, the decision must be taken

as to whether to proceed with CVRS or stick with current

routing and scheduling operations. If the project is to go

ahead:

Revise the project plan as necessary to reflect

any changes made during system definition or

any additional training needs identified during staff

briefing

Remember to communicate any significant

changes to the relevant staff

5.3 Third Phase: Obtain and Set UpSystem

Obtain System

With the key decision to proceed having been taken, the

project will gain a higher profile and momentum. Use the

information gathered during the first phase to select the

final system and place the order. Once the system

specification is known, the project can advance while

awaiting system delivery.

System Interfaces

Many logistics operations benefit from links with other IT

systems, an option facilitated by CVRS. The preferred

extent of system interaction will have been discussed

during system definition. Amongst the most common are

links with:

Sales order processing, as orders are almost

inevitably downloaded electronically

Customer service software, where customer

parameters and addresses are stored

Manufacturing planning, for made-to-order goods

Business reporting systems, to generate

management reports and key performance

indicator information

Once the requirements have been decided, allow

enough project time to create and test all interfaces

before the system goes live.

Plan Training

One of the few advantages of manual routing and

scheduling is that little or no training is required.

Geographical knowledge, product knowledge and

customer knowledge, together with some simple rules,

such as the number of drops per day, are practically all

that is needed to create a set of routes. Because of this,

the task can generally be carried out by a number of

people; for example, drivers often successfully move into

the traffic office to provide holiday cover. Although

temporary staff may not produce routes as good as

those generated by the regular planner, they will enable

deliveries and collections to be made until the regular

staff are back in place.

With CVRS, the situation is very different. With training,

the systems are relatively straightforward to use: without

training, most people will find them impossible to use.

Consequently, it is critical to have enough trained people

within an organisation who can stand in when

scheduler(s) are sick or on holiday, or if they leave.

For the majority of organisations, planning and

scheduling staff will need specific training in the use of

the CVRS system. Even where previous experience

exists, staff will need training on the specific software

package selected for successful operation. Train

back-up staff almost to the standards of the regular staff,

and ensure they get to use the system on a fairly regular

basis to remain familiar with the system. In this way,

they will be able to do the job when required.

Remember to include training costs in the project budget

and to allow sufficient time within the plan.

Purchase Hardware

Ensure that sufficient time is allowed within the project

plan to buy the necessary hardware and have it

delivered.

15

Data Assembly

CVRS systems can process vast amounts of data

quickly to produce a routing and scheduling plan.

However, the quality of the results depends on a high

degree of data accuracy.

The implementation process needs to include:

Data gathering

Verification

Cleansing and testing

Fortunately, data can be imported electronically from

external sources, such as other computer databases

(e.g. addresses from customer databases and order

quantities from sales order processing systems), in most

commonly used formats, such as spreadsheet, CSV or

PRN files. Using these external data sources will

minimise manual data entry, thereby minimising the

chance of introducing data errors. Once data have been

input, allow enough time to set up and test the data: this

should highlight all but the most insignificant errors.

A brief introduction to data assembly is given here.

More detailed information is contained in Appendix A of

this guide.

To plan routes, the CVRS system will need data on:

Order and product volumes so that the CVRS

system can work out the fit on a vehicle

Customer details, including:

Unique customer reference number

Name

Full address with postcode or grid reference, so

that the system can locate the customer on

in-built digital maps

Specified delivery day

Specified time windows

Specified vehicle types

Customer orders

Unique order reference number

Order size

Delivery or collection

Vehicle parameters

Driver details

Other data

Sequence of delivery

Priority

Booked time

Loading and unloading time

Calibrate Road Speeds

To be able to generate an accurate and realistic

schedule, the CVRS system will also need data on road

speeds. Systems have an in-built digital roadmap with a

set of default road speeds: usually these speeds will

relate to a number of vehicle types, for various

categories of road.

Check the default values against the actual speeds that

drivers usually achieve, determined through driver

surveys or tachograph charts for actual routes. Adjust

the settings within the system to representative levels

and then test their validity by generating known routes

and comparing the computer-generated timings with

those achieved in practice. Continue to refine road

speeds until there is close correlation between the

CVRS system and current experience.

System Set-up

Users can set parameters that correspond to their

individual operations, tailoring the way the system works.

To ensure that the best solutions are obtained, the

software supplier will provide advice as to any advanced

parameter settings or ‘fine tuning’ of parameters and

system set-up that may be required for particular

operations.

The precise structure of parameter files will depend on

the system, but they normally fall into three main groups:

Data parameters

Scheduling parameters

Advanced parameters

The lists below indicate what each of these groups

typically contains. While the lists may appear daunting,

most parameters have a default setting representative of

16

many operations. The number of parameters is

indicative of system capability and flexibility, and does

not imply the system will be difficult to use.

Typical data parameters include:

General (company name, distance unit,

percentage of standard speeds, minimum time,

distance between calls and closed days)

Load-related (load unit, fixed, minimum or

maximum call time)

Driver-related (legal driving limits, break/rest

periods andshift length)

Shift-related (start and finish times, hourly

payment rates, minimum shift cost and overnight

allowance)

Vehicle types (access group, load capacity, depot

time allowances, percentage of speeds and

loading rates and fixed and running costs)

Product-related (product type, product units per

load unit, loading and unloading times and

revenue)

Depots (location, opening times, throughput

capacity and closed days)

Typical scheduling parameters include:

Scheduling period in days (some systems will

schedule up to several months)

The number of overnight stops permitted

The number of trips per route (i.e. the maximum

times the vehicle can return to a depot on any

route)

Whether collections are made at the end of the

route

Whether the fleet is fixed

For fixed fleets, the number of vehicles and

drivers at each depot

Vehicle and driver departure times

The use of skeleton routes as the basis for

building up daily routes

Typical advanced parameters include:

Whether the operation is multiple depot

If depot zones exist, allocating particular tasks to

particular depots

If tramping is allowed, permitting collections and

deliveries between intermediate points en route

Deviation and cluster settings, which affect the

grouping of calls on a particular route and the

degree to which the vehicle can be permitted to

deviate from the most direct route in order to

make additional calls

Optimisation settings, instructing the system of

the method of optimisation (e.g. time, distance

and cost)

System Testing

Once the system is fully set-up and considered to be

ready to go live, it is essential to carry out as much

testing as possible, in order to both ensure that no errors

have been introduced, and enable users to familiarise

themselves as much as possible with the system in

advance of commissioning.

5.4 Fourth Phase: Go Live

For the majority of users, a CVRS system will enhance

the effectiveness of their operation for years to come.

Few users would wish to return to pigeon holes, maps,

pins and string, or whiteboards. There will be some

on-going work involved to ensure that the system

continues to produce the best solutions.

Post-implementation Review

Although it is tempting to forge ahead with the new

system once it is in place, it is also a very valuable

exercise to look back over the project and assess its

success, and whether the company could have

benefited from carrying out any part of the process

differently.

17

System Fine Tuning

Spend time with the software supplier for a number of

weeks, or perhaps even months, after implementation is

complete. By this time, staff will generally be familiar

with the system and its daily use, but they may not be

using it to its best effect. There may well be unused

features within the system which could bring additional

benefits. In addition, some of the detailed parameters

could be modified slightly to enable the automatic

generation of better routes and schedules, without

having to rely as much on user input.

On-going System Optimisation

The field of CVRS is evolving, with constant

developments and improvements coming to market each

year. Since the only certainty is that things will change,

try to stay closely in touch with the selected system

supplier and keep an eye on the wider marketplace.

Being aware of enhancements as they come along

offers the chance to makes changes to operations or the

CVRS system itself, and realise further benefits.

6 Product and SupplierSelection

Selecting the right product from the right supplier is

important. This section outlines some of the selection

issues, lists some suppliers of major systems currently

available, and also summarises the features of those

systems.

6.1 Finding the Right Supplier

Relationships

A CVRS system and its supplier are inextricably linked,

each having their own characteristics and capabilities.

Project implementation and system set-up will involve

considerable contact with the supplier, with contact

continuing through system upgrades, staff training and

perhaps user groups. Picking the right company is

essential if working together is to be a success. It is

particularly important where there is likely to be

extensive tailoring of the system to meet operational

needs.

Support, Training and Development

Support, training and development are critical if the

system is to produce the best results.

When considering which system or supplier, the

following checklist may prove useful:

How long does training take?

What level of computer knowledge is required of

staff that will use the system?

What arrangements exist for annual

maintenance?

Can the system adapt and keep pace with the

transport operation developments within the

organisation?

Is the system capable of readily interfacing with

other software in use or under consideration (e.g.

order processing and warehouse management

systems)?

Is the CVRS system continually being developed

and enhanced?

How frequently are updates issued and how are

they distributed?

Is support from the software provider available 24

hours a day?

Is support available online?

Does the supplier provide a software manual?

How comprehensive are the ‘help screens’?

What proportion of the supplier’s client base is

using extensively customised systems?

Are maps provided for all European countries

where the organisation operates?

18

6.2 Listing of Key Suppliers

Table 2 lists the suppliers of the main systems available

in the United Kingdom at the time of writing (2005). The

list is by no means exhaustive, as additional companies

come into the market from time to time, perhaps from

Europe or the United States, and companies continually

develop and expand their systems.

Note: The inclusion of a supplier does not represent

an endorsement of their system from the Freight Best

Practice programme or the Department for Transport,

nor does the inadvertent exclusion of any supplier

imply any criticism of their system.

6.3 System Summary Based onSuppliers’ QuestionnaireResponses

Tables 3 to 11 summarise some of the capabilities and

characteristics of the main systems available within the

UK market. The tables are compiled from answers

provided by suppliers to the questions set out in

Appendix 4. Where all suppliers have provided similar

affirmative answers, the questions have been excluded

from the tables.

All of the systems listed have a high degree of

functionality, making them complex and difficult to

summarise. Prospective users need to look carefully at a

number of systems in considerable detail, to find the one

best suited to their operations and requirements. The

tables may help to short-list systems for further

consideration.

19

Table 2 Main CVRS system suppliers in the UK

System name(s) Supplier

DiPS Distribution Planning Systems

Bridge House

Bewdley

Worcestershire DY12 1AB

Tel: 01299 400528

Website: www.dips.co.uk

LogiX DPS International Ltd

(also online system Lygon Court

logixcentral.com) Hereward Rise

Halesowen

West Midlands B62 8AN

Tel: 0121 585 6633

Website: www.dps-int.com

Optrak Optrak Distribution Software Limited

Princess Mary House

4 Bluecoats Avenue

Hertford

Hertfordshire SG14 1PB

Tel: 01992 411000

Website: www.optrak.co.uk

Paragon Paragon Software Systems plc

Allen Court

High Street

Dorking

Surrey RH4 1AY

Tel: 01306 732600

Website: www.paragonrouting.com

Roadnet 121 Systems Ltd

Broadway Business Centre

32a Stoney Street, The Lace Market

Nottingham NG1 1LL

Tel: 0115 924 7104

Website: www.121logistics.com

Descartes Delivery Descartes Systems UK Limited

Management Solution The Mill House Business Centre

Station Road

Castle Donington

Derby DE72 2NJ

Tel: 0870 164 6355

Website: www.descartes.com

TruckStops Kingswood MapMechanics

Canal Court

155 High Street

Brentford TW8 8JA

Tel: 020 8568 7000

Website: www.mapmechanics.com

20

Table

3

Data

verification

What is

the p

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Usually

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Manager, o

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Longitu

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Navte

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Verific

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via

an inte

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whic

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and

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The u

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can c

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that

post

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and p

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Verific

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4

Data

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nom

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The u

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the

deliv

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days to a

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Yes

Yes, ord

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info

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can featu

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,

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and a

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Yes, tr

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pla

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vaila

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over

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required.

Yes

What is

the m

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35 d

ays

No lim

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ays

14 d

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No lim

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o lim

it6 w

eeks

What is

the m

axim

um

num

ber

of custo

mers

and

calls

?

30,0

00

No lim

itN

o lim

it20,0

00 c

usto

mers

, 20,0

00

calls

per

schedule

No lim

itN

o lim

it16,0

00 c

alls

, each o

f

whic

h c

ould

be to a

diff

ere

nt custo

mer

How

does the s

yste

m

accom

modate

vehic

les o

f

diff

ere

nt ty

pes a

nd

capaciti

es (

e.g

. m

ulti

ple

com

part

ment,

tem

pera

ture

contr

olle

d)?

The u

ser

defin

es

indiv

idual vehic

le a

nd

traile

r cla

sses, each w

ith

its o

wn c

apacity

in o

ne o

r

more

fix

ed o

r variable

com

part

ments

of

diff

ere

nt te

mpera

ture

s

The s

yste

m

accom

modate

s m

ulti

ple

vehic

le types. T

he

Com

patib

ility

/ Tanker

Module

pro

vid

es for

up to

16 c

om

part

ments

and

enable

s load b

uild

ing,

takin

g into

account lo

ad

mix

, te

mpera

ture

and

pro

duct com

patib

ility

issues

Vehic

les a

re m

odelle

d

indiv

idually

by

dim

ensio

ns, attribute

s

and c

onfig

ura

tion. E

ach

vehic

le type h

as its

ow

n

‘loader’ a

lgorith

m to

ensure

that a v

ariety

of

pro

duct ty

pes a

nd

quantit

ies c

an b

e

accom

modate

d

Vehic

le types inclu

de

capacity

in fiv

e d

efin

able

units

of m

easure

.

Com

part

ment optio

n

allo

ws u

p to 2

0

com

part

ments

(com

part

ment siz

es a

re

variable

and the g

oods in

each c

an v

ary

, e.g

.

frozen/a

mbie

nt)

Each v

ehic

le type h

as its

ow

n c

apaciti

es (

up to

thre

e u

nits

of m

easure

i.e

.

weig

ht, p

alle

ts, volu

me

and thre

e c

ate

gories (

i.e.

chill

ed, fr

ozen, am

bie

nt

for

each c

apacity

. N

o

limit

to the n

um

ber

of

vehic

le types the s

yste

m

can h

andle

The s

yste

m a

llow

s

specifi

catio

n o

f up to n

ine

measure

ments

and u

ses

these a

s c

apabili

ties o

r

requirem

ents

for

each

vehic

le d

uring p

lannin

g

Each v

ehic

le h

as its

ow

n

record

, w

ith u

p to 1

5

diff

ere

nt capacity

measure

s. E

ach c

apacity

has a

unit

of m

easure

of

the u

ser’s c

hoic

e -

palle

ts,

litre

s, cages, cubic

metr

es, etc

.

Multi

-com

part

ment

vehic

les h

ave m

ulti

ple

capaciti

es

What ra

nge o

f diff

ere

nt

driver

and v

ehic

le s

hift

s

can b

e a

ccom

modate

d b

y

the s

yste

m (

inclu

din

g

double

shift

ing)?

Cla

sses a

re d

efin

ed for

indiv

idual or

gro

ups o

f

drivers

. E

ach c

lass h

as

its o

wn s

ettin

gs (

sta

rt a

nd

finis

h tim

es, shift

length

,

licence type, W

TD

para

mete

rs)

The s

yste

m e

nable

s the

user

to s

pecify

multi

ple

shift

pattern

s, hours

and

length

s, ta

kin

g into

consid

era

tion d

ouble

shift

ing a

nd the

impendin

g W

TD

Shift

pattern

s a

re

specifi

ed a

cro

ss the

week. D

rivers

can b

e

double

shift

ed, and

drivers

’ shift

s c

an o

verlap

The s

oftw

are

handle

s

sin

gle

, double

or

trip

le

shift

opera

tions, w

ith u

p to

21 s

hift

s o

ver

a w

eekly

schedule

Morn

ing a

nd a

ftern

oon

shift

s a

re p

ossib

le b

y the

use o

f th

e R

outin

g

Passes, settin

g u

p a

Morn

ing P

ass then a

n

Aftern

oon P

ass

Indiv

idual re

sourc

es c

an

be d

efin

ed w

ithin

win

dow

s to m

anage s

hift

s

Each v

ehic

le h

as its

ow

n

specifi

catio

n o

f shift

availa

bili

ty.

Double

-shift

ing is e

asily

accom

modate

d

What scope is there

for

variatio

ns to r

oad

speeds?

Speeds a

re s

et by tim

e o

f

day,

countr

y, v

ehic

le

cla

ss, day o

f w

eek, ro

ad

cla

ss,

rura

l/urb

an/c

ongeste

d

The s

yste

m is s

upplie

d

with

a s

tandard

set of

road s

peeds, but allo

ws

the u

ser

to s

pecify

by

time o

f day a

nd v

ehic

le

type

Speeds c

an b

e s

et by

time o

f day,

vehic

le type,

road type, congestio

n

are

a

Speeds a

re s

et fo

r 12

road types, w

ith

user-

defin

ed c

ongeste

d

are

as, ru

sh-h

our

pro

files

by d

ay o

f th

e w

eek a

nd

variatio

ns b

y v

ehic

le type.

User

map e

diti

ng is

pro

vid

ed for

handlin

g

local fa

cto

rs

Speeds c

an b

e g

lobally

changed, as fix

ed s

peed

or

by p

erc

enta

ge, by

indiv

idual ro

ads o

r by

are

as. A

fle

xib

le r

ush

hour

model is

als

o

availa

ble

to tem

pora

rily

change r

oad n

etw

ork

capabili

ties

64 r

oad types/s

peeds a

re

set

The u

ser

can h

ave

com

ple

te c

ontr

ol over

the

road s

peeds u

sed, set

eith

er

by r

oad c

ate

gory

or

by indiv

idual ro

ad

segm

ent

Qu

estion

DiP

SLogiX

Optr

ak

Para

gon

Roadnet

Descart

es D

eliv

ery

Managem

ent

Solu

tion

Tru

ckS

tops

Question

DiP

SLogiX

Optr

ak

Para

gon

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Descart

es D

eliv

ery

Managem

ent

Solu

tion

Tru

ckS

tops

21

Table

5

Schedulin

g p

ara

mete

rs

Can the s

yste

m m

odel

pre

-allo

cate

d r

oute

s(w

ith o

r w

ithout a

pre

dete

rmin

ed

sequence)?

Yes

The s

yste

m c

an

auto

matic

ally

or

manually

schedule

pre

-allo

cate

d o

r fix

ed

route

s in, or

not in

, th

especifi

ed s

equence

Yes

Yes

The u

ser

can d

efin

ero

ute

s o

r ‘s

tatic

’ route

s,

and c

an a

lso b

uild

route

s b

ased o

n a

fix

ed

geogra

phic

are

a

Yes

Yes

Can s

yste

m p

rioritie

s b

eset?

For

exam

ple

,m

inim

ise tim

e,

dis

tance?

Yes

The s

yste

m is

pre

dom

inantly

a tool to

optim

ise tim

e a

nd

dis

tance

The o

ptim

iser

is

cost-

based, w

ithprioritie

s a

ffecte

d b

ychangin

g c

ost

para

mete

rs

Yes

The s

yste

m c

an

optim

ise o

n s

tart

tim

e,

route

tim

e o

r le

ngth

,tim

e w

indow

s, w

ait

times, driver

bre

aks,

dis

tance, costs

,capacity

, vehic

le type,

physic

al lo

catio

n,

multi

ple

depots

, sto

ps

per

route

, urg

ency

facto

r, p

ickups, re

loads

and s

erv

ice tim

es

Pro

fitabili

ty, dis

tance,

time a

nd o

ther

variable

sm

ay b

e a

ssig

ned a

nd

used for

optim

isatio

n

The s

yste

m a

lways

min

imis

es c

osts

,alth

ough c

ost

para

mete

rs c

an b

e s

et

to a

chie

ve m

inim

um

time, or

min

imum

dis

tance, or

acom

bin

atio

n

Can the s

yste

m e

xte

nd

custo

mer

openin

g tim

eto

perm

it com

ple

tion o

fa d

eliv

ery

?

Yes

Yes, th

e u

ser

can

specify

this

The s

yste

mdis

tinguis

hes b

etw

een

‘arr

ive in tim

e’ w

indow

s,

and ‘depart

in tim

e’

win

dow

s

Yes

The s

yste

m p

rovid

es

flexib

ility

with

regard

s to

openin

g tim

es a

nd c

an

be s

et to

eith

er

arr

ive

befo

re a

custo

mer’s

clo

sin

g tim

e o

r com

ple

teth

e a

ctiv

ity b

efo

re the

custo

mer’s c

losin

g tim

e

Yes, tim

e w

indow

s h

ave

optio

nal fle

xib

ility

Deliv

ery

win

dow

sgovern

arr

ival tim

e. If

the v

ehic

le a

rriv

es w

ithin

the tim

e w

indow

, th

esyste

m a

ssum

es the

deliv

ery

can b

ecom

ple

ted. T

his

allo

ws

multi

ple

ord

ers

to b

edeliv

ere

d b

y a

rriv

ing o

ntim

e w

ith the first ord

er

Does the s

yste

m a

llow

for

vehic

les to

com

mence a

new

trip

part

way thro

ugh a

work

ing s

hift

?

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Relo

ads o

r m

ulti

-trips

are

achie

vable

, and

exte

nded r

uns a

nd

multi

-day r

oute

s a

reals

o p

ossib

le

Yes

Yes. T

his

capabili

ty c

an

be turn

ed o

n o

r off for

each v

ehic

le

Can the s

yste

mschedule

‘tr

am

pin

g’ (

i.e.

colle

ctin

g fro

m o

ne p

oin

ton a

route

and

deliv

ering to a

noth

er

poin

t on the s

am

ero

ute

)?

Yes

The s

yste

m c

an c

olle

ct

and o

nw

ard

deliv

er, a

dd

to a

n e

xis

ting d

eliv

ery

and d

eliv

er

or

colle

ct,

ensuring o

rders

are

carr

ied o

ut on the s

am

ero

ute

Yes

Yes. W

ith the

Inte

gra

ted F

leets

optio

n,

the s

oftw

are

will

choose

the v

ehic

le b

ase to u

se

and c

om

bin

e loads to

min

imis

e e

mpty

runnin

g

The s

yste

m c

annot

curr

ently

schedule

pic

kups w

ith o

nw

ard

en-r

oute

deliv

eries, but

the e

nhancem

ent is

schedule

d for

a futu

rere

lease

Yes, m

ulti

-activ

ities a

lso

usin

g m

ulti

-activ

ity

pic

k-u

p a

nd d

rop-o

ff

Yes

Qu

estion

DiP

SLogiX

Optr

ak

Para

gon

Roadnet

Descart

es D

eliv

ery

Managem

ent

Solu

tion

Tru

ckS

tops

22

Table

6

Advanced p

ara

mete

rs

Can the s

yste

m s

pre

ad

deliv

eries a

t specifi

ed

inte

rvals

(e.g

. w

eekly

/

fort

nig

htly

) over

an

exte

nded s

chedule

period?

Yes

The s

yste

m c

an b

e

config

ure

d to take into

account m

ulti

ple

schedulin

g p

eriods

Not directly

, but ord

ers

can b

e a

llocate

d s

pecifi

c

days in a

multi

-day p

eriod

Yes, usin

g the M

ulti

Period P

lanner

optio

n

The T

err

itory

Pla

nner

module

allo

ws s

equentia

l

deliv

ery

schedule

s o

f up

to 1

2 w

eeks

Yes

Yes. F

requency

schedulin

g is h

andle

d

with

a d

ata

base fro

nt-

end

to a

llocate

and b

ala

nce

work

load a

cro

ss the

schedulin

g c

ycle

. T

he

syste

m then r

oute

s the

schedule

d w

ork

load. It

can a

lso c

onvert

contr

acts

with

a s

erv

ice fre

quency

into

a n

um

ber

of calls

Can the s

yste

m p

rioritis

e

ord

ers

for

deliv

ery

?

Yes

Yes, nin

e levels

of priority

are

availa

ble

Yes

Yes

Ord

ers

can b

e g

iven a

n

urg

ency facto

r betw

een 0

& 1

00. T

his

allo

ws

identif

icatio

n o

f critic

al

jobs a

nd those o

f le

ss

importance. W

here

there

are

excess jobs, th

e less

urg

ent w

ill b

e left o

ff the

route

s

Yes

Yes

Can the s

yste

m s

chedule

tracto

r units

and tra

ilers

separa

tely

?

Yes

Vis

ual P

lanner

is d

ue in

2005 a

nd w

ill e

nable

the

physic

al re

sourc

e, tr

acto

r,

traile

r and d

river, to b

e

allo

cate

d indiv

idually

Yes, in

directly

Yes

The s

yste

m c

an c

reate

,

main

tain

and s

chedule

tracto

rs a

nd tra

ilers

separa

tely

Not yet, b

ut th

is

enhancem

ent is

due for

rele

ase in e

arly 2

005

The s

yste

m inte

rfaces to

syste

ms w

hic

h h

andle

driver/

tracto

r schedulin

g.

Solu

tions a

re a

lso

availa

ble

for

tracto

r/tr

aile

r

schedulin

g

Can the s

yste

m s

plit

larg

e

consig

nm

ents

acro

ss a

num

ber

of vehic

les?

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

The s

yste

m c

an s

plit

ord

ers

and m

ulti

ple

ord

ers

to the s

am

e s

top. S

plit

ord

ers

are

giv

en a

new

num

ber, p

refix

ing the n

ew

ord

er

num

ber

with

the

account num

ber, the

origin

al ord

er

num

ber

or

a

custo

m p

refix

Not yet, b

ut th

is

enhancem

ent is

due for

rele

ase in e

arly 2

005

Yes

Table

7

Mappin

g

Can r

oute

path

s b

e

dis

pla

yed?

Yes

Route

path

s c

an b

e

dis

pla

yed a

t various

levels

of deta

il

Yes

Yes

The u

ser

can d

ispla

y

route

s u

sin

g s

traig

ht lin

es

(poin

t to

poin

t) o

r alo

ng

road p

ath

s

No

Yes

Can indiv

idual tr

ips b

e

dis

pla

yed?

Yes

Indiv

idual t

rips

and

multi

ple

trips

can b

e

dis

pla

yed a

t va

rious

leve

ls

of deta

il

Yes

Yes

Sin

gle

and m

ulti

ple

route

s c

an b

e d

ispla

yed

on the m

ap

No

Yes

Qu

estion

DiP

SLogiX

Optr

ak

Para

gon

Roadnet

Descart

es D

eliv

ery

Managem

ent

Solu

tion

Tru

ckS

tops

Qu

estion

DiP

SLogiX

Optr

ak

Para

gon

Roadnet

Descart

es D

eliv

ery

Managem

ent

Solu

tion

Tru

ckS

tops

23

Table

8

Modelli

ng

Briefly

describe the

syste

m’s

capabili

ty for

modelli

ng (

e.g

. str

ate

gic

or

opera

tional schedule

s)

The s

yste

m c

an b

e u

sed

str

ate

gic

ally

and

opera

tionally

The s

yste

m c

an b

e u

sed

str

ate

gic

ally

and

opera

tionally

The s

yste

m c

an b

e u

sed

str

ate

gic

ally

and

opera

tionally

and c

an

optim

ise v

ehic

le

resourc

es, depot lo

catio

n,

allo

catio

n o

f ord

ers

to

depots

etc

The s

yste

m c

an b

e u

sed

str

ate

gic

ally

and

opera

tionally

. S

trate

gic

uses inclu

de p

lannin

g

new

opera

tions,

evalu

atin

g o

ptio

ns a

nd

serv

ice o

bje

ctiv

es,

auditi

ng e

xis

ting

opera

tions

The s

yste

m c

an b

e u

sed

str

ate

gic

ally

and

opera

tionally

. It is

als

o

part

of a s

uite

of

softw

are

, in

clu

din

g a

str

ate

gic

pla

nnin

g tool,

a

tactic

al lo

adin

g tool,

a

solu

tion for

managin

g

real-tim

e d

ispatc

h a

nd

trackin

g, and a

set of

route

pla

nnin

g file

s

Strate

gic

pla

nnin

g tools

allo

w the m

odelli

ng o

f

dis

trib

utio

n c

entres,

zonin

g (

where

desired)

and a

lso p

ickin

g o

f

routin

es w

ithin

a

dis

trib

utio

n c

entre/

ware

house to o

ptim

ise the

layout. A

sim

ula

tion tool

allo

ws c

usto

mers

to

sim

ula

te o

rder

pools

ente

ring the p

lannin

g

syste

ms, usin

g their d

ata

off-lin

e for

modelli

ng/

optim

isatio

n

The s

yste

m c

an b

e u

sed

for

str

ate

gic

and

opera

tional schedulin

g.

Str

ate

gic

uses inclu

de

tender

pre

para

tion a

nd

‘what if.

..?’ a

naly

sis

.

Opera

tional uses r

ange

from

daily

schedulin

g to

fixed r

oute

revis

ion

exerc

ises

Qu

estion

DiP

SLogiX

Optr

ak

Para

gon

Roadnet

Descart

es D

eliv

ery

Managem

ent

Solu

tion

Tru

ckS

tops

Table

9

Managem

ent

report

s

What m

anagem

ent

report

s a

re p

roduced b

y

the s

yste

m?

Report

s a

re tailo

red to

the u

ser’s r

equirem

ents

(inclu

ded in p

urc

hase

price)

A s

eries o

f custo

mis

able

report

s a

re a

vaila

ble

, in

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25

7 Case Studies

This section features a number of case studies that

reveal individual companies’ experience of introducing a

CVRS system into their transport operation. The case

studies highlight the many benefits achieved.

7.1 Menzies Distribution AchievesBetter Speed and Accuracy inPlanning

Edinburgh-based Menzies Distribution is a leading

provider of added value distribution and marketing

services to the newspaper and magazine supply chain.

Menzies uses 1,400 vehicles to deliver over 7 million

newspapers and magazines each day to over 21,000

customers, clocking up 93,000 miles in doing so.

Products arriving from publishers in the early hours are

cross-docked, picked and packed, then consolidated for

delivery to the retailer. High speed, good organisation

and overall efficient distribution are paramount when the

product has such a short shelf-life.

A number of issues led Menzies to investigate CVRS as

a potential solution to distribution problems. The

company experienced large increases in both market

and catchment size, depots were being rationalised and

pressure was mounting to contain distribution costs. As

each depot acquired more business, and individual

newspaper and magazine weights increased relentlessly,

delivery rounds became ever larger and heavier. It

became increasingly necessary to split and re-split runs,

and it became more and more difficult for manual

scheduling to resolve issues. Short-term expediency

tended to take over, leading to unbalanced routes.

Consequently, it became clear that it was time to use

technology and tools to support the planners.

In late 1998, Optrak Distribution Software was chosen to

provide a high-tech and cost-effective tool to help

improve Menzies’ customer service levels, whilst

managing transport costs. As is often the case with

implementation of new technology, Optrak was initially

treated with scepticism. The Optrak team invested a lot

of time working with local management and staff to

increase their understanding of the system and win

support.

The Optrak system provides 90% of the routing and

scheduling solution very quickly. At that point, routes are

reviewed by local planners who use their vital local

knowledge to refine the results and ensure a practical,

achievable solution. The system deals with daily weight

variations, and supports the planning of deliveries from

36 depots, each with an average of around 800 visits

per day. In addition, with several newsagents often

located on the same street, the right visiting sequence is

critical. The Optrak solution goes right down to street

number accuracy, using eight-figure grid referencing to

allow location of each premises right down to a

ten-metre square.

Optrak proved invaluable when the newstrade

introduced its ‘Focus on Distribution’ initiative, setting the

groundwork for the introduction of mutually-agreed

retailer delivery times. Menzies found Optrak to be an

excellent tool for planning how best to meet the optimum

delivery window.

The CVRS system is now used strategically and

tactically on a depot-by-depot basis around the UK,

assisting manual schedulers in the redesign of delivery

sequences. It is also used strategically, to test the

effects of alternative scenarios, and has enabled

Menzies to venture into new markets, confident that it

knows what to expect. The move into evening

newspaper distribution was supported by an evaluation

carried out with Optrak.

26

Optrak software has proved to be a worthwhile and

valuable tool for Menzies, a partnership recognised in

February 2002, when Menzies Distribution and Optrak

Distribution Software were jointly awarded the ‘Fleet

Management Systems 2002 Partnership Award’.

7.2 West Country Fine FoodsImproves Periodic TransportPlanning

West Country Fine Foods is a specialist distributor of

premium chilled and frozen foods to the hotel and

catering market. The company is based at Codford St

Mary in Wiltshire, with additional bases at Newton Abbot,

Bristol and Warrington. It serves most of the western half

of the country, using a fleet of around thirty 3.5-tonne

refrigerated vans.

The business is seen as a distribution company,

receiving in large quantities and shipping out in small

quantities, with a real emphasis on service.

Most orders are received between 20:00 and midnight.

All vehicles must then be loaded and ready for dispatch

by around 05:00, so there is no room for inefficiency in

the routing and scheduling process. Previously, delivery

schedules were worked out manually but, in an

operation with around 3,000 live accounts, this was a

highly complex process and led to inevitable anomalies.

Some journeys could be completed in five hours,

whereas others took 11 hours and, with drivers left to

plan their own routes, distribution was not completed as

cost-effectively as it could have been.

CVRS was introduced as part of a wider ranging scheme

to improve the overall logistic efficiency of West Country

Fine Foods. After short-listing several options,

Kingswood MapMechanics’ CVRS system, TruckStops,

was chosen to plan deliveries nationwide. The system is

now used every three months to replan the company’s

fixed routes and test the impact of adding new

customers or changing load volumes.

As a direct result of introducing CVRS, West Country

Fine Foods has been able to balance deliveries much

more evenly amongst vehicles, and plan routes that are

far more efficient. As a result, fewer vehicles are

required, fuel costs have been cut by thousands of

pounds a month, and wear and tear and depreciation

have been reduced. In purely financial terms, the system

paid for itself within just two months, but the

simultaneous improvement in customer service has also

been of real benefit to the company.

West Country Fine Foods has also taken a full copy of

GeoConcept, a geographic information system also

supplied by Kingswood MapMechanics. This system can

be used in close conjunction with TruckStops to analyse

and fine-tune logistics activities, as well as performing

wider network planning and marketing activities.

Benefits are being realised beyond pure logistics

activities. For instance, the system has enabled the

company to identify the profitability of individual routes,

and there are plans to expand on this capability in the

future.

7.3 Alstons Cabinets EnhancesTransport Efficiency and SupplyChain Systems Integration

Alstons Cabinets supplies bedroom furniture from its

base in Ipswich to over 2,000 customers across the UK.

The vehicle fleet consists of 22 rigid vehicles and

trailers, completing between 500 and 600 orders every

week.

Almost three-quarters of the items dispatched are made

to a specific customer order, with scheduled orders used

as the basis for manufacturing planning. Just a few

years ago the whole process was carried out manually

by sorting hard copies of customer orders and then

passing the information into other parts of the business.

The simultaneous introduction of Material Requirement

Planning (MRP) and Paragon CVRS software has

radically changed the process and improved the

efficiency and effectiveness of manufacturing planning.

Orders are now downloaded into Paragon for routing,

before being uploaded into the MRP system for

production planning. As customer time windows and

delivery preferences are held in the CVRS system,

successful planning no longer depends on someone’s

memory when planning routes. Consequently, errors

have been reduced and orders are no longer ‘forgotten’

because of people working under pressure.

Other areas have benefited from improved

communication. With suitable system interfaces, the

information in electronically-generated routes can be

circulated widely, quickly and accurately. This action has

drastically reduced internal queries and errors, and

improved the response to customer queries.

There have also been a number of operational benefits.

Better routes and more effective use of vehicles have

enabled the fleet size to be reduced by 20% (from 25 to

20 vehicles), bringing with it reductions in running costs

and revisions to contract hire arrangements. Critically,

however, this move has been achieved without any

deterioration in customer service. Planning is now

reliable enough to make best use of vehicles without

them regularly running late and missing deliveries

through attempting to do too much.

Alstons is now also using telematics to provide real-time

vehicle tracking. Not only has this change enabled the

company to inform its customers where vehicles are and

when they will arrive, but it has also provided improved

vehicle and load security.

7.4 DW Weaver Achieves BetterSpeed and Accuracy inOperational and StrategicPlanning

DW Weaver is based in Endon, Stoke on Trent and

operates from four sites running 70 vehicles across

England and Wales. Milk is collected either daily or on

alternate days, seven days per week, and is delivered to

dairies and reload points. The diverse collection fleet

consists of vehicles ranging from 26-tonne rigid tankers

to 44-tonne articulated vehicles.

In addition to collections, the company also runs a

trunking fleet comprising around thirty 44-tonne,

29,000-litre articulated tankers. Unlike the collection

fleet, these vehicles operate across the UK. In addition

to regular delivery destinations, these vehicles also

make tramping runs collecting and delivering away from

base.

Routes for milk collection are largely fixed and manual

planning using ‘maps and string’ was used until recently,

with planners making minor changes as milk yields

varied. However, the task was becoming increasingly

cumbersome and time-consuming, and there was

always concern about accuracy of plans.

Weavers therefore decided to implement a computerised

vehicle routing and scheduling system. DPS Ltd’s LogiX

system was selected, and has enabled the company to

carry out monthly route reviews that take account of the

on-going changes. The planning process is now much

quicker and accuracy is greatly improved, with

schedules making allowances for road speeds and

loading and offloading times. As a result, the company

has been able to make better forecasts of mileage run,

driver workload and vehicle arrival times at both

collection and delivery points. There has been a

reduction in overall vehicle mileage, with a subsequent

reduction in transport costs.

LogiX has also proved particularly useful for generating

quotations, and producing quick answers to ‘what if.....?’

questions from customers.

7.5 Silentnight Beds Makes MoreEfficient Use of Rigid Vehiclesand Trailers

Silentnight Beds is a leading manufacturer of beds, with

an annual output of 400,000 mattresses and 200,000

bedding sets i.e. mattresses and bed bases. Although

some stock is manufactured in advance of anticipated

demand from major customers, most product is made to

specific customer order. Product is delivered throughout

the UK, with three principal routes to market:

‘Home delivery’ on behalf of major high street

retailers, normally to private homes, and

frequently a single item, which generates around

3,000 deliveries per week

‘High street’ deliveries, consisting of substantial

orders to retailers, which generates around 500

deliveries per week

‘Trunked’, large orders, usually full loads, often

using stand trailers delivering into distribution

centres for major catalogue companies

27

Silentnight’s delivery fleet consists of 55 vehicles, 50 of

which are drop-bodied drawbar rigids for home and high

street deliveries, supplemented by five articulated

vehicles used principally for trunking operations. The

vehicles operate solo on shorter routes, but usually run

with trailers over longer distances.

Prior to the introduction of CVRS, all route planning was

carried out manually using ‘piles of paper’. The process

was time-consuming and complex, as the delivery profile

varied across the year, and the resultant routes were

less than optimal. A Paragon CVRS system was

introduced many years ago and has consistently

delivered improved routes requiring less input from

transport planning staff.

Progressive functionality improvements have increased

effectiveness. The software successfully handles

Silentnight’s particular requirement for operating

drop-bodied drawbar vehicles. Whole outfits are routed

to a focal point, from where the rigid vehicle completes a

delivery route before returning, swapping bodies, and

setting off to complete a second route. After that, the

whole outfit is reunited and returned to base.

Paragon is integrated into the wider business process.

On a daily basis, customer orders for a single delivery

region are downloaded into the system. Planned routes

are then uploaded into manufacturing systems for

planning, and into customer service processes to trigger

letters and phone calls to customers, confirming orders

and delivery addresses and arrangements. The system

supports the ‘what goes out, stays out’ approach to

planning and operating.

7.6 G & P Batteries ImprovesTransport Efficiency andIncreases Capacity

G & P Batteries is a Midlands-based business that

collects batteries for recycling. The business operates

over the whole of the UK, including the islands, and

holds a substantial share of the UK market. The

company has approximately 500 customers, ranging

from small independent companies to major blue chip

organisations, with around 20,000 collections being

made each year from around 12,000 sites. Around

30,000 tonnes of batteries of all types are collected each

year, although the majority are lead acid batteries from

cars, fork-lift trucks, stand-by power supplies etc.

Batteries are all returned to the main depot, where they

are sorted before being transported to recycling plants.

The company has to comply with a wide range of safety

and environmental regulations, both at its site and in the

operation of its vehicles. The in-house fleet comprises

19 vehicles, including a 44-tonne articulated vehicle, a

38-tonne drawbar combination, 26, 18 and 3.5-tonne

gross weight rigids and a number of vans. All except one

of the fleet are based in the West Midlands.

G & P Batteries’ routing and scheduling requirement is

unusual in many ways. Once customers make a request,

a collection will be made within ten working days, and

customers are not restrained by a ‘normal’ collection

day. A typical ‘order pool’ of 900 - 1,000 collections

exists, in a very wide range of sizes, which can be built

up into routes.

The planners therefore have a good deal of flexibility, but

they must ensure that the service commitment is met at

the same time as ensuring the efficient use of vehicles.

The business is low margin, so it is critical to achieve a

good vehicle fill. To help the company meet its diverse

needs, Roadnet CVRS software was introduced. The

system gives orders an increasing priority rating as the

ten days elapse, ensuring that no one remains at the

back of the queue for ever.

G & P Batteries sees the benefits of CVRS as

significant. The critical 90% vehicle fill is achieved and

daily planning time has been reduced by around five

hours a day. Transport management and administration

have also improved, and management are confident that

the current four planning staff will be able to handle the

expected doubling of throughput.

28

Roadnet is also providing good management

information, including forecasts of the cost of future

routes, and is being used for strategic planning.

G & P Batteries is now looking at the use of vehicle

telematics which, in conjunction with portable weigh

beams, will enable live recording of transactions at

customer sites and also enable tracking and recording of

the company’s containers that are left with customers.

29

Appendix 1 CVRS in Detail

This section explains in more detail the way that CVRS

systems work and the way that they are controlled.

More technical information and specific information on

individual software packages can be obtained from

system suppliers or through their websites. A list of the

main system suppliers in the UK is given in section 6.

A1.1 Data Assembly

Accurate data are essential in any CVRS system.

Without them, accurate and reliable routes and

schedules cannot be guaranteed.

Data must be assembled during the implementation

process, with various stages covering data gathering,

checking, cleansing and rechecking. Wherever possible,

data should be imported electronically from external

sources to minimise manual data entry and therefore

minimise the risk of introducing errors.

The following sections describe the basic data required

for most CVRS systems.

Order and Product Volumes

For most businesses, a lot of work will have to be done

to define product or order size (dimensions and weight),

so that the CVRS system can work out the best fit on a

vehicle when orders are being processed. For

organisations that supply or collect goods in neat

rectangular boxes, this will not prove difficult. Data will

simply have to be checked for accuracy regarding

product dimensions and weights, filling in any gaps,

perhaps for new products.

For goods dispatched or collected in a range of shapes

and sizes, more work will be required. Goods which can,

but don’t always, fit inside each other or nest will

probably be the most difficult to define.

Customer Details

A set of fixed customer data is needed, to enable the

CVRS to locate premises on the map and define the

parameters within which deliveries must be made.

Most companies now store good customer details as

part of their customer management process, including

the full address and postcode. However, data entry may

not be straightforward. Most businesses find a number

of errors arise when a set of addresses and postcodes is

entered into a CVRS system, ranging from simple

typographical errors to invalid or incorrect postcodes.

For example, customers may be listed by the head office

address, whereas deliveries are made to another place.

Any errors will take time and patience to resolve.

Similar difficulties can arise with data on customers’

delivery parameters. Where comprehensive data are

already recorded, the process of uploading the details

into the CVRS system should be fairly simple and

problem-free. However, many records are incomplete.

Often, restrictions exist that schedulers are aware of,

and working to, and yet they remain unrecorded.

Likewise, records may show restrictions that schedulers

know can be ignored. All of these issues need to be

resolved when data are input, as the CVRS system can

only act on the parameters stored, and routes and

schedules will be planned accordingly.

Customer details need to include:

A unique reference number, by which the system

can identify the customer

A name, which can be the company name,

delivery town or customer reference number

The full address for the delivery, using postcode,

town name or grid reference

The specified delivery day, where applicable - if

customers must receive deliveries on particular

days of the week this must be entered, otherwise

the system will use the most economic day

Any specified time windows for deliveries

Any specified vehicle types where, for example,

customer site access is restricted by height,

length or weight restrictions

Verification of Addresses

Address verification varies from system to system.

Some systems use an internal address verifier to

pinpoint customer locations accurately, whereas others

30

require users to verify customer addresses before

importing the data. Either way, verification should not

cause too many problems. Many organisations that deal

with different customers every day, such as those

involved with home deliveries, successfully use CVRS to

plan their operations.

Address information can be imported in several ways:

Postcode - this is the most popular method and

offers the most accurate, readily available location

reference. Most users will know the postcodes for

their collection and delivery points. If not, systems

are available that can ascertain postcodes from

address data, or locations without postcodes can

be fixed on the digital map. Many vehicle

scheduling systems can interpret postcode

information down to full postcode level. Those

that are only capable of locating to postcode

sector level (e.g. TN4 9) do not provide such a

level of accuracy, but for many users this will be

accurate enough

Grid Reference - identifying location by grid

reference or by latitude and longitude is extremely

accurate, particularly for deliveries and collections

in the agricultural sector. However, errors in grid

references are difficult to detect without

supporting address information

Gazetteer - in the context of CVRS, a gazetteer is

a pre-prepared list of place names together with

their physical location in latitude and longitude

and x and y co-ordinates. Although this offers a

reasonably accurate method of identifying call

point locations, problems can arise from:

Ambiguous place names

Incorrectly spelt place names

Vague locations within large cities

Further information on establishing locations is

contained in section A.2.

Customer Order Data

Details of each order to be planned are required. In

most cases, these data will be downloaded

electronically. The following data will be required:

A unique reference number, which must be

cross-referenced to the customer reference

number, and must be unique to each fresh order

for a particular customer

The order size, in a measure which matches that

used to define vehicle capacities, i.e. weight,

cube, number of pallets or roll cages, etc

Whether the call is a delivery or collection,

because the systems will only plan collections if

there is room on the vehicle at that point on the

route

Vehicle Parameters

Details are required of all vehicles that can be used by

the CVRS system in the routing process. Systems can

use either a fixed or a variable number of vehicles, but

in either case will need details including:

The number of vehicle types, such as tractor

units, semi-trailers, rigids, trailers, etc

The number of vehicles of a particular type

The total capacity of each vehicle type in the

appropriate measure i.e. tonnes, cubic metres,

pallets, litres, cartons, cages, stillages, roll cages,

etc

The number of compartments on each vehicle

and their capacity, including details as to whether

compartment size is variable

The length of time for which vehicles are available

for work

31

32

Driver Details

Data must be stored in the CVRS system detailing:

The number of drivers available

Their hours of work

Their rest and break requirements

Other Data

To exploit the full capability of a CVRS system, other

data may be stored including the following.

The Sequence of Delivery

Orders can be scheduled in a particular sequence on

pre-allocated routes, provided that a sequence number

is attached to each order. This feature can only be used

in conjunction with pre-planned routes.

Priority

In most systems, orders can be assigned different

priorities. Some systems automatically update the

priority of orders remaining undelivered at the end of

each day.

Booked Time

Specifying a booked delivery or collection time enables

the system to plan routes that meet all requirements for

timed calls.

Loading and Unloading Time

All systems allow the user to make allowances for

loading and unloading times. Different times can be set

according to product type or vehicle type, or to allow for

a vehicle with a crew. Some systems also permit

different times to be set for different days of the week.

A1.2 Mapping

Digital Maps

All CVRS systems use some form of digital map as the

basis for calculating routes.

In recent years, the sophistication of digital maps has

increased significantly, and they are now available in

various levels of detail. These detail levels correspond to

the levels of paper maps or atlases with which we are all

familiar. At the higher level, maps contain details of

motorways, trunk roads and many A roads, equivalent to

the sort of paper map that might be used to plan a

journey to a major city in France.

The next level down will, in addition, contain details of all

A roads and many rural B roads and country lanes, but

only the most major routes in towns. In paper terms, this

might equate to a general road atlas that many people

carry in their car for everyday use.

The third level of detail includes street level mapping for

all roads within a given area, including street and road

names. At the finest level of detail, the street level maps

will include information of one-way traffic flows,

prohibited left or right turns, weight, width or length

restrictions and perhaps the height of low bridges.

Establishing Locations

Geocoding, the process of locating buildings, sites,

addresses etc, on digital maps, involves various

methods, although in practice most use postcodes or

addresses, or a combination of the two.

The Post Office has its own data file (Postzon) that

relates postcodes to map co-ordinates. The degree of

accuracy is not the same for all addresses, because the

average number of addresses within each postcode is

fifteen. Postzon covers the UK in 100-metre square

grids, with co-ordinates for each grid taken from a point

in the bottom left-hand corner of each square. Each

square covers 10,000 square metres, and generally

includes a number of postcodes and many different

addresses, particularly in densely populated areas.

Each of these addresses will be assigned the same

co-ordinate.

The Ordnance Survey has a data file called Codepoint

which creates a grid co-ordinate for each postcode,

based on the position of an actual property near the

centre of the postcode area. A further level of detail is

also available that provides a co-ordinate for each

property.

Identifying the Operational Need

As expected, the higher the level of detail on the maps,

the higher their cost and perhaps the higher the cost of

the computer needed to process the data. It is therefore

important to know what level of detail is required from

the CVRS system, so that the system supplier provides

only the required level of detail.

For example, an operation that runs 200 - 300 miles

between delivery points will not be unduly affected if the

geocoding places a customer hundreds of yards from its

actual location. However, a parcel carrier may need to

know on which side of the road an address is located,

particularly if the road is an urban dual carriageway, and

the routing process will need to take account of one-way

streets.

33

A1.3 Optimising the Use of Resourceswith a Vehicle Scheduling System

Anyone thinking of implementing CVRS should be aware

that the system will not replace scheduling staff. While a

CVRS system is a very sophisticated tool that

substantially reduces man-hours of effort to produce

routes and schedules, it still requires input from

knowledgeable routing and scheduling staff to optimise

the solutions.

Making Manual Adjustments to

Computer-generated Solutions

CVRS users can normally modify routes by:

Changing the dispatch day

Inserting, deleting or resequencing calls, generally

using ‘drag and drop’

Inserting depot visits and additional deliveries

Modifying the resources used (e.g. depot, vehicle

and driver shift)

Most systems have the facility to re-optimise routes once

interactive modifications have been made.

Identifying Calls Not Routed

Occasionally, a CVRS system will fail to schedule some

calls. Reasons for this include:

Resources may not match demand, for example,

there may not be enough vehicles of the correct

type

Booked time constraints or time windows may

conflict for calls planned on the same fixed routes

There may be insufficient time (duty or driving) to

complete certain calls within a shift

Users must be able to establish the reasons for any

failures quickly. Some systems will display the reasons

for any calls not planned, allowing the user to make

adjustments to routes and display any constraints

broken as a result of manual alterations. At this point,

the user can decide whether breaking constraints is

acceptable: often this will involve a call to the sales team

or to customers themselves.

Adding Calls to Existing Routes

Dynamic daily routing is a valuable feature supported by

many CVRS systems. Users can insert additional

last-minute orders into routes planned earlier in the day,

and then rapidly re-evaluate the routes planned.

Merging Routes

Occasionally, a CVRS system produces routes that

make poor use of a driver’s time, vehicle capacity or

both. Systems enable users to merge routes, to improve

use of resources.

A1.4 Specialised SchedulingApplications

Specialised applications are available for more advanced

routing and scheduling tasks.

Determining the Optimum Location

for Depots

Separate modules are available from principal system

suppliers that enable users to work out the optimum

locations for depots. Some of these modules zone the

delivery points and find the best location for a depot to

serve each zone, taking into account the road network

and the distribution of customer locations within a given

area.

Integrated Scheduling of Fleets from

Several Depots

Some operators need to plan routes and schedules for a

number of vehicles operating from different centres, in

order to achieve optimum utilisation of the resources

available at each centre.

CVRS systems are available that can plan routes

centrally for a number of regional operations. These

systems can achieve optimum vehicle utilisation across

all the sites as a whole, and operations may benefit from

having a centralised scheduling team. Alternatively, initial

schedules can be created from a single central point

before being optimised locally by individual depots.

Multiple Compartments

The capability to distinguish multiple compartments is

widely available and is used for scheduling vehicles,

such as tankers or multi-temperature vehicles.

Capacities are assigned to individual compartments on

vehicles, for use when routes and schedules are

planned. If applicable, compartments can be assigned

variable sizes (and therefore product carrying capability),

which is particularly useful on temperature-controlled

vehicles with movable bulkheads. Compartments can

also be assigned to specific products or ranges of

product, ensuring that goods remain segregated on the

same vehicle.

34

Trunking and Transhipment

Trunking and transhipment work have particular

scheduling difficulties, but modern CVRS systems are

now able to manage these particular operations more

successfully.

Many systems can plan local delivery routes from

locations remote from the central depot (including

stockist depots and motorway car parks), and can also

plan inter-depot trunking routes.

Product Incompatibility

Modern CVRS systems include the capability to manage

incompatible products. This is, however, a complex field

and potential users must be careful to ensure that

suppliers are fully aware of their requirements when

finalising system requirements.

Bulk Products

Some CVRS systems enable orders larger than the

largest capacity vehicle to be assigned to several

vehicles of appropriate sizes. This feature can be

particularly useful in organisations that regularly receive

individual orders of very large quantities.

Appendix 2 Journey Planners

The typical journey planner is in some ways a simple

version of a CVRS system. The principal purpose is to

calculate time and distance for individual journeys, and

in some cases the cost of those journeys. They are

particularly useful where the number of vehicles is

relatively small and the complexity of the routing

problem does not justify investment in a full CVRS

system.

Journey planners do not generally take account of

customer loading and unloading constraints (e.g. time

windows, booked time or vehicle size) or vehicle

capacities, and do not attempt to schedule vehicles

across any given period of time. Nevertheless, they can

prove a useful, and usually relatively inexpensive, tool

for many organisations operating vehicles, whether they

be LGVs, vans or service or sales staff transport.

A2.1 Applications

Typical applications for journey planners are:

Reducing mileage by finding the shortest route

Producing journey itineraries for use by drivers

Calculating the time, distance and cost of

manually generated routes

Checking distances on tachograph charts or

haulage invoices

Establishing the daily driving range of certain

types of vehicle

Checking the time and distance ranges from

given operating centres

A2.2 Operation

Journeys planners electronically locate all points of call

on a journey, plot the distance between node points and

display the suggested route on the digitised map. The

user can sometimes choose whether the route is

calculated according to:

Least time

Least distance

Least cost

The user can also choose whether journey time should

be calculated based on a pre-determined departure time

or a pre-determined arrival time.

A2.3 Data Input

In a journey planner, call points for each route are

selected manually. Consequently, this type of system is

not ideal for planning a large number of routes, or routes

with numerous call points, as the planning process will

be very time-consuming. They can, however, help

organisations to improve efficiency, reduce energy

35

consumption and cut costs without a major investment in

sophisticated software.

When building journeys, each call point must be

identified (by postcode, town name or grid reference)

and entered into the system. Planning time can be

reduced if regular routes are stored electronically and

later recalled for modification. Individual call points can

be added, deleted or edited on individual routes.

A2.4 Parameter Settings

Most journey planners allow the user to define a number

of operating parameters, although care must be taken to

avoid using unrealistic settings that could result in

unachievable journey times. Typical parameters include:

Type of vehicle to be used

Running speeds by road category for each

vehicle type

Percentage reduction in speed over selected

sections of roads or whole roads

Length of rest periods and breaks

Any roads or sections of roads not to be used

Duration of stop time (for individual deliveries or

collections)

Fixed and variable costs for each vehicle type

Any changes to these settings normally affect all routes.

A2.5 Screen Mapping Features

Individual journeys can be displayed on screen against a

background of the road network. If required, the user

can choose to display parts of a route in more detail, by

enlarging smaller areas of the map on screen.

A2.6 Other Features

The following features are normally available on journey

planners:

Finding the nearest place or road, by placing the

cursor on the map

Optimising the sequence of points within multiple

stop journeys. This feature is particularly helpful

when the user is unsure of the best sequence for

a particular journey or there are added call points

as orders have been received throughout the day.

It is also useful for quickly reorganising journeys

to accommodate last minute orders.

Defining drive time zones i.e. the area within a

specified drive time of a location

A2.7 Outputs

Journey planners generally allow users to:

Save individual journeys to file, for later printing,

re-use and/or amendment

Print route maps (in colour or black and white)

Print detailed journey itineraries, for issue to

drivers, etc

View and/or print a summary of journeys, showing

total time, total miles and total cost

36

Appendix 3 Vehicle Telematics

A3.1 Introduction

The use of vehicle telematics is not essential for

successful introduction of CVRS. However, many

organisations consider introducing telematics at the

same time, because of the additional benefits that can

result. Before deciding to introduce CVRS and/or

telematics, organisations need to carry out a careful

analysis of their current transport operations and

determine the future needs of the business.

Telematics has been defined as ‘the remote use of

computers to control and monitor remote devices or

systems’. Current vehicle telematics systems and

equipment offer the transport industry an unprecedented

opportunity to manage its main assets - the vehicle and

the driver - far more effectively than ever before. This, in

turn, will enable the operation to reduce operating costs,

improve customer service, or both.

A3.2 Telematics in Use

Hardware

The exact configuration of on-board equipment will vary,

but typically consists of a number of distinguishable

modules:

On-board Computer

Usually the heart of the system, this small, electronic

box contains hardware and software that receives and

stores data from vehicle systems and a global

positioning system (GPS), and controls communications

equipment.

Global Positioning System

This electronic box passively receives signals from a

number of satellites in geostationary orbit (i.e. their

position remains the same relative to the Earth’s

surface). The GPS calculates its position on the Earth’s

surface based on receipt of these signals. Positional

accuracy can be as good as a few metres.

Communications Module

This electronic box transmits data gathered on the

vehicle and receives external data, usually from the

vehicle’s base.

Controller Area Network (CAN)

Perhaps the least visible element, the CAN is a standard

part of the electrical equipment built into most large

goods vehicles in recent years. It provides a high speed

communications network, designed to support control

functions between electronic devices on the vehicle.

Driver Terminal and Keypad

These portable data terminals with a screen and keypad

often take the form of a unit similar to those increasingly

used by warehouse operatives. They enable systems

and drivers to communicate with one another, and are

often mounted in a cradle within the cab. This position

enables the unit to be linked into the communications

module, and also places it near a source of power for

battery recharging.

Navigation Module

This small in-cab display provides the driver with a

visual map-based indication of the vehicle’s position and

turn-by-turn directions to a destination.

Vehicle and Driver Data

At their simplest, driver data enable an individual driver

to be identified and recorded using either a simple PIN

number or an electronic identity card. Identification can

be used to authorise fuel dispensing, for instance. In the

near future, the introduction of the digital tachograph will

enable telematics systems to record and analyse drivers’

hours and help drivers understand and comply with

‘Drivers’ hours rules’ requirements.

Vehicle data can be virtually anything the business

needs. Vehicle efficiency applications currently in place

include fuel use (which, with links to other systems, can

be converted into miles per gallon information), engine

idling time, engine revs and heavy braking. Other

possible data streams include doors or valves being

opened and closed, and the temperature of chilled or

frozen compartments.

For operations with high-risk cargo, such systems can

also provide a panic button that sends a message to the

vehicle’s base and enables assistance to be summoned.

Vehicle Tracking Systems

Vehicle tracking systems take the positional data from a

GPS system and send it back to a base point, where it is

usually linked to digital map data. The vehicle position

can then be displayed on a roadmap on a computer

screen, enabling the operator to know, with a good

degree of accuracy, where vehicles are and whether

37

they are on the move. This information can be compared

with a route or load schedule to determine whether the

vehicle is running ahead of or behind time, and gives

transport operators the opportunity to take action. For

example, they may choose to contact a customer to

warn of a late delivery or to re-book a delivery slot.

As an extra element of customer service, that data may

also be used to trigger messages to customers, letting

them know when a vehicle is perhaps five or ten minutes

from arrival.

Tracking systems also allow transport operators to

highlight deviation from a planned route, or movement

when none is expected, perhaps due to vehicle theft.

Such systems may also be fitted to trailers.

Proof of Delivery or Proof of Collection

Perhaps one of the most common uses of telematics is

the provision of real-time Proof of Delivery or Proof of

Collection (POD or POC). Using a portable data

terminal, the driver can obtain a customer signature for

delivery or collection, which is transmitted back to base

as soon as the driver fits the terminal back into its cradle

within the cab. Linking these processes to vehicle

tracking confirms the position of the vehicle when the

delivery or collection took place.

POD or POC units can also be used for gathering and

processing other information, such as barcodes, perhaps

of delivered goods or containers, details of the tank into

which a load is discharged, or even for payment

transactions. They can also record quantities of goods

collected, where this is not known ahead of time.

If required, drivers can be equipped with a small printer,

for customers who require paper confirmation of

transactions.

Planned versus Actual

By linking vehicle tracking systems to a CVRS system,

together with a suitable display or reporting

methodology, it is possible to compare actual

performance with that planned. At its simplest, this may

replace or supplement driver debriefing. More usefully,

the link can enable re-routing of vehicles within a

planned schedule, perhaps changing delivery sequences

so that customers with critical delivery time windows

receive their delivery on time, and it can allow customers

to be warned of anticipated late deliveries.

On-board Navigation

These navigation systems generally provide an in-cab

display which, based on the vehicle’s current location

and destination, gives the driver junction-by-junction

instructions to the next call point.

Care must be taken with the use of such systems in

single manned vehicles to ensure that the driver’s

attention is not distracted whilst driving. Modern

systems are available where the instructions are spoken

to the driver rather than relying on a pictorial

representation on the screen.

38

Appendix 4 Supplier Questionnaire

The following tables of questions are intended to help

organisations looking to evaluate the characteristics and

capabilities of potential systems. The lists are not

exhaustive and should be used as a guide only.

Additional questions will be needed to determine the

suitability of a system to meet an individual company’s

requirements.

For additional help, Section 6 of this guide contains

answers to these questions as received from the main

suppliers of CVRS systems within the UK.1 Data set-up and handling

1 Data set-up and handling

1.1 Can you import data electronically (e.g. from spreadsheet or order processing system via interface)?

1.2 Which data elements are entered into the system manually?

1.3 How are changes made to individual and multiple call point or order data?

1.4 What is the process for address verification?

2 Data parameters

2.1 Can the system plan deliveries for nominated days?

2.2 What is the maximum planning period?

2.3 What is the maximum number of customers and calls?

2.4 How does the system accommodate vehicles of different types and capacities (e.g. multiple compartment, temperature controlled)?

2.5 Can the system accommodate customer restrictions on vehicle types and collection/delivery times?

2.6 What range of different driver and vehicle shifts can be accommodated by the system (including double shifting)?

2.7 What scope is there for variations to road speeds?

3 Scheduling parameters

3.1 Can the system route and schedule a fixed fleet?

3.2 Can the system schedule a variable number of vehicles/types?

3.3 Can nominated day and time windows be overridden?

3.4 Can deliveries be planned to a specific delivery time with a tolerance set by the user?

3.5 Can the system model pre-allocated routes (with or without predetermined sequence)?

3.6 Does the system allow manual alterations to individual routes after initial routing?

3.7 Does the system warn when manual changes break constraints?

3.8 Can system priorities be set? (e.g. minimise time, distance?)

3.9 Can the system extend customer opening time to permit completion of a delivery?

3.10 Does the system allow for vehicles to commence a new trip part way through a working shift?

3.11 Can the system show reasons for orders not routed?

3.12 Can the system ensure all deliveries are done on the first day of a multi-day route?

3.13 Can the system schedule ‘tramping’ (i.e. collecting from one point on a route and delivering to another point on the same route)?

4 Advanced parameters

4.1 Can the system schedule vehicles based at several depots as a single combined fleet?

4.2 Can the system spread deliveries at specified intervals (e.g. weekly/fortnightly) over an extended schedule period?

4.3 Can the system schedule nearest calls first?

4.4 Can the system prioritise orders for delivery?

4.5 Can calls be manually selected from a map and routed?

4.6 Can the system schedule tractor units and trailers separately?

4.7 Can the system split large consignments across a number of vehicles?

5 Mapping

5.1 What level of mapping detail is available and for what countries?

5.2 Can the user choose whether or not to display the map when scheduling?

5.3 Can calls and routes be altered on the map?

5.4 Can route paths be displayed?

5.5 Can individual trips be displayed?

6 Modelling

6.1 What is the system’s capability for modelling (e.g. strategic or operational schedules)

6.2 What address/mapping level does the system route down to?

39

7 Management reports

7.1 What management reports are produced by the system?

7.2 Can the user generate customised reports?

7.3 What other transport management software can be interfaced with the system (e.g. telematics, fuel management, GPS)?

7.4 Can data and reports be exported electronically?

8 Support/training/technical support

8.1 What is the typical frequency of software updates?

8.2 What is the typical frequency for map updates?

8.3 What is the training time required for an average operator?

8.4 What are the system’s hardware requirements?

8.5 Is there a help desk? What are its hours of availability, and how many staff support it?

8.6 What arrangements exist for on-going software development?

9 Cost

9.1 What is the budget cost for a single user system?

9.2 What is the budget cost for additional copies?

9.3 Do these costs include any training?

9.4 What is the cost of annual updates?

10 Market

10.1 How many UK companies use the system?

10.2 What is their approximate range of fleet sizes?

10.3 What sort of transport operations are considered to be the product’s target market?

Telematics Guide

This guide provides information on the basic

ingredients of telematics systems, highlights how

to use this technology, the information obtained

from it and how to select the right system for your

needs.

April 2007.

Printed in the UK on paper containing at least 75% recycled fibre.

FBP1009 © Queens Printer and Controller of HMSO 2007.

Freight Best Practice publications, including those listed below, can be obtained

FREE of charge by calling the Hotline on 0845 877 0 877 or by downloading

them from the website www.freightbestpractice.org.uk

Equipment and Systems

Saving Fuel

Developing Skills

Equipment and Systems

Operational Efficiency

Performance Management

Public Sector

Fuel Saving Devices

This guide contains practical tips and advice on

how to trial and then choose fuel saving products.

Reducing the Environmental Impact of

Distribution

This Case study shows how Transco National

Logistics reduced costs, mileage and CO2

emissions with alternative fuels, stepframe trailers

and improved vehicle routing.

Proactive Driver Performance Management

Keeps Fuel Efficiency on Track

This case study shows how Thorntons

implemented a highly effective driver incentive

scheme combining in-cab driver monitoring,

service delivery levels and accident rates.

In-fleet Trials of Fuel Saving Interventions for

Trucks

This guide shows how to establish the potential

performance of fuel saving devices in your fleet.

Efficient Public Sector Fleet Operations

This guide is aimed at fleet managers in the

public sector to help them improve operational

fleet efficiency.